"Tim Paine is the best gloveman in the world"- Nathan Lyon comes out in support of his former Test captain
Australia's veteran Test spinner Nathan Lyon believes former skipper Tim Paine must be included in the playing eleven in the opening Test of the upcoming Ashes series. Lyon claimed that Paine is the best wicket-keeper in the world.
Tim Paine was recently involved in an off-field scandal that prompted him to relinquish the Test captaincy. Despite recent events, the seasoned campaigner said that Paine has full backing from fellow Aussie players according to a report published in The Australian.
Lyon added that the gloveman admitting to his past mistakes was courageous. He feels that the 36-year-old deserves to play in the crucial Test series opener against England at the Gabba as he is still a fantastic keeper.
Here's what he said:
"In my eyes, Tim is the best gloveman in the country, in the world. I can 100 per cent guarantee he has the full support of the Australian changeroom. I don’t see him as a distraction at all. Come the Gabba Test match and throughout the whole series, we are professional sportspeople and we will go out and do our job."
The highly anticipated Ashes series between cricketing giants Australia and England is scheduled to commence on December 8. Lyon, who is the most experienced player in the current Aussie side, strongly urged the selectors to consider Paine for the first fixture.
"I am excited by the fact we are potentially going to have a bowler as captain” - Nathan Lyon
According to Australian media, Cricket Australia recently interviewed Pat Cummins and Steve Smith for the roles of Test captain and vice-captain respectively. Reacting to this news, Lyon mentioned that he was excited by a bowler potentially captaining the side.
“I am excited by the fact we are potentially going to have a bowler as captain."
The off-spinner remarked that the new partnership could prove to be beneficial for the team. He highlighted how having both a bowler and a batter's perspective could yield positive results.
“You have a bowler’s mindset and a batter’s mindset rather than two batters; they can come together and really come up with some good guidance,” Lyon added.