Nathan Lyon opens up about mentorship and his future

Australia’s most prolific off-spinner opens up about his role as a mentor, his relationship with Todd Murphy and his plans for the future.

The death of Shane Warne has passed on an invisible baton to Nathan Lyon to become the senior statesman of Australian spin bowling – a responsibility he has acknowledged and embraced.

On the list of Australia’s Test bowling wicket-takers there is Warne on 708 and a gap of 270 wickets to Lyon on 438. By the time the current Australian star retires there is likely to be daylight to the next spinner with the late Richie Benaud the next on 248 wickets.

You can’t manufacture experience and pedigree, and Lyon’s wisdom means more than ever now as he relishes an active role mentoring young Victorian off-spinner Todd Murphy.

The strong indication is 22-year-old Murphy has been identified by selectors as the next in line and Lyon, now 35, is determined to echo the legacy of Warne and help guarantee Australia’s spin bowling future well beyond the years he has left at the top of Test cricket.

“One hundred per cent, and to be honest with you, we will never be able to replace Warnie and what Warnie did for our game,” Lyon told News Corp ahead of Wednesday’s first Test against the West Indies in Perth.

“Not just for Australian cricket, but worldwide. We’ll never replace that.

“But I dare say I do have a role in being a big driving voice for spin bowlers, especially in Australian cricket.

“In my eyes, it’s spin to win in every game we come across. I do have that role and being that voice to hopefully support the spinners like Warnie supported me.”

Warne and Lyon during the 2014 Test series in South Africa. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

Lyon has not even contemplated retirement and despite officially entering his mid-30s last week and believes he has the mental and physical freshness to continue to march on for years to come.

“Being a spin bowler does give you that opportunity to potentially play for a number of years,” he said.

“I know I’m not even considering retirement any time soon. There’s a lot of things I want to tick off.”

However, in the back of his mind is the extreme pressure and difficulties Lyon and nearly a dozen other young Australian spinners faced trying to find their place in Test cricket in the wake of Warne’s retirement.

Lyon doesn’t want that to be the experience for his ultimate successor or the game, and a bond has formed between he and Murphy which shows the bonds of fellowship in Australian cricket are strong, even across NSW and Victorian state borders.

“I absolutely love it to be honest with you. Trying to challenge the likes of Murph to get better,” Lyon said.

“What I say is not the Gospel or anything like that, but it may be able to help him here or there.

“What I like about Todd is that obviously he’s extremely young and he’s learning his craft – but that he wants to learn, that he’s wanting to ask questions and he’s not afraid in asking questions.

“He’s a young, aspiring cricketer and that’s so important in the development of younger players is having cricket conversations and being willing to talk openly about how we can get better.

“It’s been really good for me too. It takes me right back to basics and I get a big kick out of it especially when I see him doing well. I definitely think he’s got the potential. Hopefully I can help him along in his journey wherever I can.”

Todd Murphy from Victoria is thought to be Lyon’s potential replacement as the long term spinner in the Australian Test side. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Murphy’s figures of 3-27 from 22 overs in the first innings of the Prime Minister’s XI clash against the West Indies in Canberra was justification for the faith selectors have in his abilities and control, even after only five first-class matches.

The bespectacled young prospect said he owes plenty to the mentorship of Lyon, who first volunteered to come and watch him at a Victorian net session in Adelaide last summer when NSW was also locked down in the same city in a Covid bubble.

They bonded further at the Sydney Sixers and then on the Australia A tour of Sri Lanka mid-year.

Murphy said nothing can mitigate the fact that the expectations will be enormous on whoever ultimately succeeds Lyon in the Australian cricket team, but having a great of the game willing to be so selfless in imparting his knowledge on a rival spinner has helped him believe he could handle Test cricket should an opportunity arise in the future.

“When that does happen they’re expecting the next person to come in and do as good a job as what Nathan has done. When you look at it, he’s taken the most wickets ever by an off-spinner so it’s unrealistic to expect the next person who comes in is going to be able to do a similar job to that,” Murphy told News Corp.

“Because he’s been outstanding for so long.

“Even just in the beginning, having someone to watch on TV and look at and see what they do to learn off, and then I was lucky enough that when we were in the Shield hub, he was able to come down and do a session with me, which was obviously beneficial for me.

“Speaking to a guy like that about off-spin bowling is obviously gold for me so I just try and tap in as much as I can to him and ask him questions and try and learn.

“Over in Sri Lanka I got a few days around the Test squad to bowl with him and watch how he bowls in those conditions and speak to him about what he tries to do to batsmen.

“He’s stayed in touch with me throughout the start of the season and checking in on how I’ve been going. It’s really nice from that point of view that he’s taken an interest in me and wants me to do well. He’s been awesome.”

Despite being cut from the same cloth as country kid off-spinners – Lyon from Young in NSW and Murphy hailing from Echuca in Victoria – Murphy insists there are differences in their approach.

Murphy recently had figures of 3-27 in the first innings for the Prime Minister’s XI against the touring West Indies. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

“There’s definitely parts of our bowling that’s different and we’re not exactly the same.”

Lyon hasn’t been injured his entire career and is about as resilient as they come. But should an unexpected injury strike, Murphy feels he would be ready to tackle Test cricket if selectors looked his way.

“It’s a good question and in all honesty I’m not probably sure myself. I’ve only played a handful of first class games and finding my way through that,” he said.

“If that opportunity did arise which is very unlikely, but I’d like to think I’ve got the attributes to be able to compete at the next level.

“But I also understand there’s definitely a handful of guys in front of me. I just want to keep developing.

“I’m in no rush to get there but if that opportunity did arise I would be confident I’d have the skill sets to compete.”

Lyon’s determination to help give back to the game has also driven him to launch a business venture called GOATD, a platform where professional athletes can connect with fans and aspiring young players in a mentoring capacity, including one-on-one video chats and training sessions.

The Australian star also launched his range of Nice Garry kids books through Harper Collins this summer, aimed at trying to encourage children to read and dream big.

Lyon still holds aspirations to return to Australia’s white ball teams, but admits being a single-format player has him primed and motivated to not even contemplate an end point to his illustrious Test career.

Australia’s most prolific off-spinner says he has no plans to give up his mantle as the first-choice Test spinner anytime soon. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Next year’s Test tour of India – a place Australia has not tasted success in over 20 years – remains No. 1 on his bucket list.

“I am starting to see the benefits of not being in all three formats. Don’t get me wrong, I still have ambitions to play all three, but then you look at the guys and they’re playing all three formats and just hearing them speak about (the toll it takes),” said Lyon.

“It does give me that chance to really freshen up and have a really good balance of life outside cricket.

“There’s many things motivating me. I know the hunger for me each and every day is to try and improve Australian cricket and making sure that we’re winning.

“The series in India is a massive goal for me. I’ve said it before, that would be probably up there with one of the biggest achievements if we’re able to tick that one off and win that Test series over there.

“I don’t feel 35 body wise or anything like that. Spin bowling is a craft. It does allow you to make sure you are always trying to get better.”