New Delhi
Former Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris believes that experienced off-spinner Nathan Lyon could be left out of the team’s playing 11 for next year’s home Ashes as the hosts look to prepare for their crucial series against England. Considering the best bowling line-up.
Recently, in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, fast bowlers performed brilliantly on the strength of fast bowlers. Lyon, who has more than 500 Test wickets to his name, played an important role in Australia’s 3-1 victory against India. He bowled 122.4 overs in five matches, taking only 9 wickets. “Scottie, as we know, he’s a player who comes in when someone gets injured,” Harris said. That has been his role in the past… but he has taken 21 wickets at an average of 13, so certainly the selectors will have to think about the absence of Josh Hazlewood.
He said, ‘Josh is a very good bowler and his record speaks for itself. This is certainly a question that needs to be asked and we are going into completely different circumstances in Sri Lanka. The questions will be raised next summer and will we play four fast bowlers and perhaps leave the GOAT (Lyon) out.
Before the Ashes, Australia are scheduled to play two Tests in Sri Lanka, starting in Galle on January 29, as well as the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June and a Test tour of the West Indies later the same month.
“I think they’ll try to keep it as stable as possible,” Harris said. There is no doubt that talks are taking place behind closed doors… but we cannot afford to lose three or four players at once. Everyone is shouting that ‘this has to happen’, but deep inside there must have been a plan. There are two Tests in Sri Lanka, a World Test Championship and even a tour of the West Indies, so there is going to be a bit of cricket between now and then. They (the selectors) have faced a bit of criticism – but eventually they have come back to the fore and shown what the team can do. They are making good decisions, even if it doesn’t always seem like it from the outside.
