Chris Lynn on what keeps him on his toes and a key to his big hitting

Chris Lynn is one of cricket’s great entertainers, but he feels he could be just one big shot away from retirement.

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Chris Lynn has earned millions smashing sixes around the world but he tells GRANTLEE KIEZA he lives in fear that his dream run could end at any moment.

You’re one of the most exciting batsmen in the game but what would you be doing if you weren’t playing cricket?

If you’d asked me that question a couple of years ago I would have said I had no idea. I’m motivated to keep doing well because I’m sort of scared about what’s going on in the outside world. In the last 12 months I’ve got into a bit of commentary work and I have a business called PlayBook Australia which focuses on personal coaching but I want to keep playing for as long as I can. The way my shoulders are going, though, I feel like I could be one four away from retiring.

Chris Lynn launches another huge shot playing with the Brisbane Heat.

Your next gig is playing for the Winnipeg Hawks in the 2019 Global T20 Canada tournament that starts on July 25. I guess you would rather be playing for Australia in the World Cup?

There’s always a bit of me that wishes I was there. I did get the opportunity to play for Australia in Twenty20. If I get back into the Twenty20 side that’s great; if I don’t I’ll still always support the team.

How do you rate the Australian performances in the World Cup so far?

They started slowly even though they got the wins on the board but now I think we’re building to something special. The batsmen at the top have been next-level-impressive and we’ve seen glimpses of Glenn Maxwell getting quick runs off a few balls. I can’t wait to see what happens when he gets to face 40 or 50 balls.

What about Test cricket? Do you still harbour a dream to wear the baggy green cap?

I guess that’s every Australian kid’s dream but I gave up Sheffield Shield cricket three years ago. My body just wasn’t where I wanted it to be. My worst fear in the world was going into a game and not being able to get my shoulder through more than a couple of days and letting the boys down. Test cricket is just too far-fetched for me at the moment. The shorter game is a priority for my body and I’m an up-tempo guy so I really enjoy playing the shorter formats too.

Chris Lynn would love to get back into the Australian T20 side. Picture: AAP

Can you remember the first six you ever hit?

It was in the Under-8s for Everton Districts at the Ferny Grove State School in my first game. A mate of mine got me to go along with him for a hit. I actually hit three sixes that game which for the under-8s is pretty much unheard of. Believe it or not I also took a hat-trick bowling left arm, seam-up. My first game of cricket – I thought how good is this?

That’s what you call hits and memories?

I’ve still got the match ball. They put it in a little trophy and it’s at my parents place. I had so much fun that day it kickstarted my love of cricket.

You played a lot of sport. You swam freestyle at the national titles, were a budding AFL star, played rugby at Nudgee college and captained Queensland in under-12s at cricket and rugby league. You played with Ben Hunt and Andrew McCullough as a kid.

I played more rugby league growing up than cricket but as I got older the boys around me got bigger and stronger and I got sick of going to training and getting beaten up. In cricket it didn’t matter how big they were or how fast they bowled I could still hit them for six. So I really enjoyed that.

What’s the biggest six you ever hit?

Probably when I hit Shaun Tait out of the Gabba three years ago. Taity bowled a 148km/h ball at me and I hit it back the other way even faster. To do that in front of the big Gabba crowd at home was something special.

Chris Lynn is excited to see what Glenn Maxwell can produce during an extended stay at the crease at the World Cup. Picture: Getty Images

What was Tait’s reaction?

He actually just laughed. He and I have a great relationship. He’s one of the really fun guys in the sport and we gave each other a big hug at the end of the game and shared a beer.

Where does the ability to hit the ball so far come from?

Growing up I played a lot of football and I think my core strength is superior to the guys who only focused on cricket. In cricket you only get to use maximum fitness every six to eight weeks but when you play league or union you use maximum effort every time you make a tackle because you want to put your opponent on his back and win the contest. Over the years that core strength has helped me hit the ball a long way. I always swung hard but it took me until I was 18 or 19 until I realised you don’t have to try to hit the cover off the ball to make it go for a six.

You had great family support growing up at Northgate. Your dad Colin built a cricket net for you in the yard and your mum Kim still cleans the clubhouse at Toombul?

My family has always made sure I keep my feet on the ground and give back to the people who have given me everything from Day 1. They’ve supported me very step of the way. I had a couple of years at Everton Districts and moved to Toombul in the under-10s. I made my first grade debut there at 16 in one-day cricket but I got dropped to the seconds the next year which was a reality check. The captain who dropped me, Kieren Murphy, is now my business partner. When I got to be first grade captain I dropped him.

Chris Lynn with his father Colin in the net Colin built in their yard.

When you were playing regularly at Toombul you hit the ball onto the train tracks a fair bit?

Quite a few cricket balls hitched a ride on trains going to the Gold Coast in those days. They cost something like $150 a ball now so there were a few hundred dollars taking off on a regular basis. But last year Toombul had about 5000 people turn up for a Twenty20 game I played in so it worked out well in the end.

You even hit your own home with a six?

I had a top floor apartment next to Toombul’s ground for about four years. I remember charging Cameron Gannon and hitting a ball out of the ground. He didn’t even bother turning around. We could hear the ball hit the corrugated iron roof at my place and I thought ``Now, I’ve got to pay for that’’. A lot of balls used to bounce into my neighbour’s yard. In the same game I turned the bat on its side and hit a leg-spinner for six too.

Who were your cricketing heroes growing up?

Matt Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath. It was a great Australian team. I’m a big fan of Chris Gayle too, and AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Brendon McCallum, who is one of my best mates now. Cricket has given me the opportunity to play with these guys around the world. It’s been awesome and I’m still pinching myself to make sure it’s really true.

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Originally published as Chris Lynn on what keeps him on his toes and a key to his big hitting