Why Chris Lynn is Australia’s most important white-ball player

AUSTRALIA believe Chris Lynn can win them next year’s World Cup, with the Big Bash Master Blaster proving to be the most crucial cog in the team make-up.

Chris Lynn launches a six against New Zealand.

AUSTRALIA believe Chris Lynn can win them next year’s World Cup.

And more importantly, Lynn wants to be that man.

The Brisbane Heat six-machine has at times insinuated that he’s at his happiest away from the international limelight on the Twenty20 circuit, and that since the passing of his best mate Phil Hughes, the lure of personal achievements like the baggy green have felt significantly less important.

However, Lynn has moved to set the record straight on his career ambitions and declared he is desperate to retire an Australian World Cup champion.

Chris Lynn launches a six against New Zealand.

Australia have already launched a review into its floundering World Cup defence, having lost 11 of its last 13 matches only a year before their one-day title goes on the line in England.

The pivotal No.3 spot has been central to Australia’s misery, and it’s understood team hierarchy secretly feel Lynn is the man for that key anchor role, hence why he was picked ahead of Glenn Maxwell this summer despite publicly expressing his own injury concerns.

Unleashing Lynn at first drop would give Australia the opportunity to blow teams off the park with Warner, Finch and Lynn forming a ferocious top order. Then the likes of Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh can provide the muscle down the bottom of the order.

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The vision of Lynn and Maxwell catapulting Australia to victory in Saturday night’s Twenty20 against New Zealand was the country’s white ball dream coming to life.

Despite recent failings, if those kind of combinations can come off, Australia will be hard to beat when the whips start cracking.

Lynn’s brilliant 44 off 33 balls to sink the kiwis still looked as though he had more in the tank, and this effortless talent will be paramount if Australia are to then follow up their 50-over World Cup assault by winning the World Twenty20 on home soil the year after in 2020.

Lynn’s chronic shoulder problems are an ongoing concern, but at least Australian selectors don’t need to worry about the batting powerhouse’s ambitions and priorities.

Lynnsanity is the King of the Big Bash, but he covets World Cup glory.

“My number one priority, and always will be my number one priority, is playing for Australia,” said Lynn.

Chris Lynn could prove to be Australia’s most important white-ball player.

“Those T20 leagues are great and I’ll always put my hands up for them, but if they clash with Australian duties, I’m always going to play for Australia.

“Playing tonight is the best feeling in the world.

“It’s great fun, the changeroom is amazing, I’ve learnt from the best players and get to be a part of the Australian system.

“As a kid growing up, you want to be part of the Australian change room, I’ve said that will always be my No.1 priority.

“There’s World Cups around the corner, I want to be a strong part of them and basically it started tonight.”

Originally published as Why Chris Lynn is Australia’s most important white-ball player