“This is a new challenge and I’m looking forward to going over there ... extremely confident.”
Lyon’s comments are sure to be seized upon by the English fans and media,but he said he was prepared to cope with whatever comes his way when Australia arrive later this month ahead of a World Test Championship final against India before five Tests against the old enemy,beginning on June 16.
“I know I’m going to get a lot of feedback from the English[fans] … positive,negative,whatever it may be. That’s totally OK,” Lyon said.
Nathan Lyon celebrates taking a wicket during this year’s Test series against India.Credit:Getty
“At the end of the day,we’re going out there and we’re playing professional sport. Hopefully they are going to be sold out[venues] and there’ll be a lot of loud crowds. The best thing we can do is go out there and perform well and silence the crowd.
“We did that well at Edgbaston last time[in the opening Test of the 2019 series] and thoroughly enjoyed that. We’ll go out and do the same.”
England have every right to be confident given their purple patch of late,but Lyon is unconcerned.
“I dare say if you asked Jimmy[Anderson],they’d say they’re confident,and they should be,” Lyon said. “They play a great brand of cricket. I’m not really worried about them to be honest.”
Stuart Broad takes a wicket during last year’s Ashes in Australia.Credit:AP
Last month Broad caused a stir by declaring that in his opinion,last year’s series in Australia didn’t count due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I’ve written it off as a void series,” Broad told theDaily Mail. “Nothing was harsher than the last Ashes series. But in my mind I don’t class that as a real Ashes.”
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Asked about Broad’s comments,Lyon said:“I’m counting it. It was 4-0 to Australia. That’s his opinion. That’s the way he’s trying to get under our feathers.
“To be honest,on a serious side,everyone was doing it pretty hard in the world. We’re very,very lucky in what we do.”
This could be Lyon’s final away Ashes series,but the 35-year-old said he feels good enough to continue playing for many years to come.
“There’s no end in sight for me,” Lyon said. “I still feel like I can get better. I know coming up here and working with Jon Davison and Dan Vettori yesterday,I feel like I’m still learning about the art of off-break bowling.
“I still feel like I have a lot to offer. I’m trying to get a lot more consistent and get my stock ball better … with a few odd variations as well.”
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