Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior takes to Twitter to hit back at Australia’s Nathan Lyon

FORMER England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has launched a savage attack on Australian Test star Nathan Lyon in an extraordinary escalation of the pair’s stunning pre-Ashes feud.

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has ruffled English feathers with his comments he wants to ‘end careers’ and claims Matt Prior was ‘scared’ in the 2013/14 Ashes series.

FORMER England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has launched a savage attack on Australian Test star Nathan Lyon in an extraordinary escalation of the pair’s stunning pre-Ashes feud.

Incensed that Lyon had besmirched his reputation by suggesting in an interview that he wanted to quit the 2013-14 Ashes tour halfway through because he was “scared”, Prior has now responded by giving the off-spinner both barrels.

Prior had already called Lyon’s claims “laughable” and “ridiculous” but last night on twitter he went even further in an emotional rant where he taunted his former rival that the karma bus is coming.

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“Last time someone spouted a whole load of BS about me I stayed quiet not this time,” wrote Prior.

“To be clear I may have been playing badly fair enough but there was no way I was getting on a plane home.

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“You’ve embarrassed yourself Nathan Lyon and this game has a funny way of biting back.

“I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing Cricket Australia team on home soil Nathan Lyon.

Nathan Lyon claims former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior (pictured) was scared during the 2013-14 Ashes series.

“I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 (in 2010-11) while your press and fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure it’s not yours that ends.”

Lyon isn’t a man used to finding himself in the middle of a media storm, but ex-England greats led by Michael Vaughan are furious at the allegations he’s made about Prior.

They’ve suggested Lyon could come in line for some retribution this series from England’s players.

The champion off-spinner told the UK press he hoped Australia could end the careers of some England players this series, like what happened four years ago when the likes of Graeme Swann and Jonathan Trott opted for immediate retirement.

“Could we end some careers? I hope so,” he said.

“… We knew (four years ago) Matt Prior wanted to fly home before the game started, and he was one of the senior players … he was scared.”

I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421. I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends

— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) November 21, 2017

I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421. I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends

— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) November 21, 2017

England captain Alastair Cook said on Tuesday he was sick of the phony war and expressed shock that Lyon had been so explosive.

“It’s really strange. I had a really nice 10-minute chat with Nathan,” said Cook.

“He was the first person I saw when I got to the ground. Asking how my kids were, how his kids were.

“It’s funny. It makes me chuckle.

“It is what it is. All the talking stops very quickly and the series becomes a normal series after the first two hours.

“Suddenly we start to talk about cricket again rather than off-field stuff.”

Originally published as Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior takes to Twitter to hit back at Australia’s Nathan Lyon