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This certainly isn’t the first time an Australian spinner has been talked up as a potential Shane Warne.
Since the great Warne’s retirement, it seems Australia has been desperate for a spin bowler that could produce the magic deliveries he could.
Unfortunately for Australia, the truth is it is a luxury that can no longer be afforded.
Nevertheless, the National Selection Panel has their heart content on unearthing a leg-spinning prodigy that can equal the King of Spin’s ability, and will not rest until it has done so.
In doing this, they have seriously damaged the progress and confidence of a number of spin bowlers who have been afforded very limited game time at Test level.
None more so than current Australian off-spinner, Nathan Lyon.
Since Lyon’s Test debut, where he burst onto the scene with a memorable five-wicket haul in Sri Lanka, he has been dropped and recalled a number of times.
The selectors have simply refused to place any faith in Lyon, regardless of the fact that he is a pivotal member of the team and clearly belongs in the Test side.
His figures of 104 wickets at an average of 32.52 from 30 Tests prove that.
Lyon’s luck looks to finally be changing now, after the scintillating 5-0 Ashes whitewash in which he played an important role.
After his fantastic performances in that series, you would think his place in the team would be safe for a considerable amount of time.
However, with the rapid rise of young leg-spinner James Muirhead, there is every chance he could be included in the team at Lyon’s expense at some point in the near future.
It is very clear that the national selectors rate Muirhead very highly, as he was thrust into the Australian T20 team with a total of just two first-class matches and a few Big Bash League games worth of experience under his belt.
The selectors have very high hopes for the 20-year-old, as do the Australian public, and personally, I hope that he does have a big impact on Australian cricket.
In saying this however, I sincerely hope, not only for Nathan Lyon’s sake, but for Muirhead’s too, that he isn’t rushed into the side like so many spinners before him.
In reality, Muirhead is better off waiting a few years before playing in his Test debut in order to not only further improve his bowling, but to gain some valuable experience in red-ball cricket too.
Lyon has now shown everyone what a fantastic bowler he can be, and deserves to have an extended run in the Test team without having to look over his shoulder.
The enormous hype over Muirhead’s strong performances would be distraction enough for Lyon, going into a very important Test series in South Africa.
Regardless, Muirhead clearly has a big future in Australian cricket and will no doubt play a considerable role in Australia’s success in all three forms of the game in the future.
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