Chris Lynn: the globetrotting gun for hire with his sights on world domination

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Unfiltered, Chris Lynn talks about his enforced diving ban, life as a T20 gun for hire and his desire to help Australia secure a first men’s T20 world title.

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Chris Lynn is in a good place.

In “the best mental and physical shape” he has been in in over four years, in fact. During which time he has battled persistent injury while still dominating T20 bowlers from Jamaica to Jaipur.

Lynn has had two shoulder reconstructions and is still on a self-imposed diving ban in the outfield to protect himself from his own hyper-competitiveness.

But with a T20 World Cup on home shores just over a year away the big-hitting batsman’s chief ambition now is selection for that squad. Something he is confident of making a strong case for, wherever in the world he is playing.

Chris Lynn is a destructive force at the top of the order for Brisbane Heat.

“It is a priority, it is a goal to play the 2020 T20 World Cup,” Lynn told News Corp’s Cricket Unfiltered podcast.

“I’d love to be a part of it. I hit the ball well in the IPL which was my last tournament, and I’m looking to build on that over the next couple of tournaments. Try and dominate the Big Bash like I did a couple of years ago.”

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In the depths of the fallout from the ball tampering saga, and with Australia looking to adjust themselves to the new ODI reality of national teams posting 400 plus scores, Lynn was briefly a lock in Australia’s World Cup plans.

The squeeze on places ushered in by the return of Steve Smith and David Warner, a recalibration over team tactics to try and break a two year losing streak and Lynn’s own failure to capitalise on his auditions last summer, however, saw him ultimately miss out.

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A fierce patriot — describing himself as a supporter first and foremost, in or out of the team — Lynn has not given up entirely on a return to the 50-over or even Test side, but is realistic that it is in the shortest form of the game where future national honours most likely rest.

Especially as he has become a prized recruit in franchise leagues from the Caribbean to Canada to now a first foray in to Europe with the Euro T20 Slam.

“I get to play cricket around the world in T20 competitions, if I get picked for Australia that’s a bonus,” he said of his globetrotting existence.

“If I get dropped it hurts a little bit, but it’s not the end of the world, I still get to play cricket, still get to do something that I love.

Lynn has enjoyed a long relationship with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

“Cricket is a stats game. They’re on the board. If you’ve got them you get picked and if you haven’t you’ve got nothing to whinge about. It’s pretty clear.

“I’ll just get my head down and work hard and if I get picked I get picked; if not it’s OK.”

Still shy of his 30th birthday, Lynn has embraced the franchise led T20 revolution at the expense of the longer form of the game, after admitting he “fell out of love” slightly with the Sheffield Shield when curators started serving up flat decks that saw huge scores and a lack of results.

His fitness has been a driver in that, with daily rehab and recovery sessions allowing him to perform at full intensity in short spells, even if the gruelling nature of travel around international cities and packed schedules in the IPL and Big Bash themselves take a toll.

When on national duty for Australia he was unable to dive for risk of aggravating a long standing shoulder injury.

Something that is now a permanent feature that he has had to reconcile with.

“That’s why I’m feeling so good, because I haven’t thrown my body around,” he told Cricket Unfiltered.

“That’s something I’ve mentally got over now. It was really hard to start with when the ball would be 30 centimetres outside my range. And because I’m so competitive I wanted to get that ball.

“The last time I popped my right shoulder out I was trying to protect my left arm. I was playing for Australia at the time and I believe if you’re playing for Australia you have to do everything you can to save a run, but the irony is I deflected the ball and instead of saving one I gave up two!

“I’ve learnt to stay on my feet, that’s why the mobility has to be strong, if I can’t dive then I have to make up the ground otherwise.”

Standing tall — with or without a swinging bat in hand — is now something that comes naturally to Lynn.

And Australia’s chances of winning a first ever T20 world title are the better for it.

Originally published as Chris Lynn: the globetrotting gun for hire with his sights on world domination