While Graeme Swann’s outstanding cricket career shuddered to a stop in this Ashes series, his Australian counterpart Nathan Lyon continues to be a quiet achiever.
It is no surprise that Lyon was lavish in his praise of Swann on Sunday after the English off-spinner announced his immediate retirement.
They are similar types of bowlers and the Australian tweaker has taken careful note of how Swann plays.
“He’s someone who I’ve looked up to a lot,” said Lyon on the Cricket Australia website.
“His career stats stand for themselves, he’s been an unbelievable spinner and someone who I watched pretty closely in my time.
Swann retired with 255 Test wickets and Australian coach Darren Lehmann said that is a worthy goal for Lyon.
“If Nathan Lyon takes 255, he would be pretty proud of himself I would think,” Lehmann said.
“Graeme has had a great career and contributed to England wins for a long period.
“Nathan can take heart from that – they’re obviously very traditional off-spinners.
“He has a good career in front of him, it’s up to him to grab it with both hands.”
While much of the focus has been on Australia’s pace attack in this series, Lyon has taken 10 wickets at an average of 31.40.
That is in stark contrast to Swann, whose seven wickets cost 80 apiece as the Australian batsmen targetted him.
Lyon now has played 28 Tests and taken 95 wickets at 33.04.
Lehmann said there is plenty of room for improvement, especially in terms of consistency.
“He bowled very well in Brisbane and very well in Perth,” Lehmann said.
“He struggled a bit in Adelaide and he admits that.
“We need him to be consistent each and every time he plays as someone like Graeme Swann did for a period of time.”
Swann also rates Lyon, but warns he will never have it easy bowling in England.
“He can go on and have a nice career for Australia,” Swann said.
“I’m not sure about in England, because England is the hardest place to bowl spin.
“Unfortunately, he’ll get smashed around when he played in England.
Straight Ball
Guest
Dear ozinsa, thank you for missing the point and for your abuse. If you insist of finding someone who should 'grow up', read your post again. Mere abuse does no warrant a response, other than to say that it is useless.
ozinsa
Guest
SB, Can you cite the instances where Murali's action was deemed illegal please? He, according to the body that rules our game, bowled with a legal action. Bitching and moaning about him now and crediting him with a plethora of illegal bowling actions is pathetic. Churlish, childish and pathetic. He was a superstar who we should revere and not constantly question. Grow up. I am a rabid Australian cricket fan who thinks Warne was a better bowler but I've figured out that living in a cave where I ignore or denigrate Murali and his achievements is uncomfortable and plain stupid. Swann is a fine bowler not fit to wipe Warne's or Murali's boots in the pantheon of great spinners.
Straight Ball
Guest
There was a rule about what constituted throwing that was repealed for the specific purpose of allowing Murali to continue to do what he should never have been allowed to do in the first place. Because of that we now reap a harvest of Murali imitators. That was a real change to the game. If you think raising it is churlish or childish, you just miss the point. For Swann to achieve in the way that he did when throwing off-spin was on the rise is a credit to him. You will notice that people now call him a 'traditional' off-spinner, which seems to be the tactful, or diplomatic, way of saying that he was an off-spin bowler, not a thrower. Proper credit cannot be given to Swann unless it is acknowledged that he resisted the temptation to do what others were successfully getting away with.
JGK
Roar Guru
Well I stayed up to nearly 3am here in Sydney hoping to watch history being made so I share your "kissing the sister" sentiments.
ozinsa
Guest
JGK, point taken. It was the second comment about chucking I'd read this morning and the first one did reference Murali so perhaps I went off too quickly and at the wrong target. You can see it irritates me. Apologies for spraying you with friendly fire. Was at the Wanderers yesterday for the last session and the end felt like kissing your sister. Crowd was very frustrated and the response was understandable but so completely inappropriate for one of the great test matches.
JGK
Roar Guru
Who is talking about Murali? There are half a dozen or so chuckers in world cricket at the moment (Ajmal, Shillingford, Botha, Williamson and others). Swann wasn't one of them.
ozinsa
Guest
Oh my, can we please let the chucker stuff go? We really look like a bunch of churlish school children carrying on ad infinitum about somebody who wound up with more wickets than Warnie and played the weak teams, chucked, bowled more overs etc. His record is in the books. He was a good guy and a great entertainer. For God's sake, get a life.
Straight Ball
Guest
Second that, JGK. At least the top wicket-taking bowler is a leggie who could not chuck.
JGK
Roar Guru
Classy stuff from Lyon (and Boof). 255 wickets at 30 is a fine career by any measure. Especially when you choose not to chuck.