Lyon amongst bolters for Sri Lankan tour

Australian Test team bolter Nathan Lyon.

Nathan Lyon has played only four first class matches but could be the newest spinner to join the post-Warne conga line after being plucked from obscurity for Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka.

The offspinner broke into first class cricket through South Australia’s triumphant Twenty20 campaign last season before starring for Australia A during the recent one-day series in Zimbabwe.

He is one of four uncapped players – Western Australian batsman Shaun Marsh and fast bowlers James Pattinson (Victoria) and Trent Copeland (NSW) are the others – picked in the 15-man squad.

If Lyon can edge one-Test veteran Michael Beer out of the team, he will be the 11^th specialist spinner picked for Australia since the retirement of Shane Warne in 2007.

Stuart MacGill Nathan Hauritz, Jason Krejza, Cameron White, Steve Smith and one-or-two-Test-wonders Beer, Xavier Doherty, Bryce McGain, Beau Casson and Dan Cullen have all been tried and in most cases discarded since history’s finest tweaker hung up his spikes.

Cricket Australia chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch defended the shock selection today.

“Nathan may be a surprise selection, but he impressed all who have seen him in the last year and bowled beautifully during the one-day component of the A squad’s recent tour,” Hilditch said.

“He is a young man with immense potential and we feel he will take this opportunity should he get the chance to play in Sri Lanka.”

The winds of change are blowing through the Australian attack, with Tasmanian swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and NSW left-armer Doug Bollinger dropped for Copeland and Pattinson.

“Trent has earned his position with some fine performances for New South Wales and has bowled very well on the Australia A tour,” Hilditch said.

“James is a young fast bowler with the potential to play an important role for Australia in all three forms of the game and we look forward to watching his further development during this tour.”

While Hilditch declared Hilfenhaus was still in contention for South Africa, the news was not so encouraging for cult hero Bollinger.

“Ben Hilfenhaus did not have as good an Ashes series as he would have liked and we feel he needs to get back to his best,” Hilditch said.

“We are sure he will do this and he will be very much in contention for selection on the upcoming tour to South Africa.

“Doug Bollinger has been left out of the Test squad. The NSP feels he needs to improve his ability to bowl spells at full intensity and maintain it over the course of a match.”

All-rounder Steve Smith was the other casualty, being dropped for Marsh, who will cover the opening and specialist batsman roles.

“We feel he needs to continue to develop as a genuine all round in the shorter forms of the game and play more long-form cricket for NSW to push again for Test selection,” Hilditch said of Smith’s ouster.

Along with the four uncapped players, two, Beer and Usman Khawaja have only played one Test.

Queensland quick Ryan Harris returns after injury cruelled his Ashes campaign while Brad Haddin was the only ‘keeper named.

Australia Test Squad
Michael Clarke (captain), Shane Watson (vice-captain), Michael Beer, Trent Copeland, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, James Pattinson, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle.

Four-Day Tour Match
Aug 25: (Colombo) from 2.30pm (EST)

Test Series
Aug 31: First Test (Galle) from 2.30pm (EST)
Sep 8: Second Test (Kandy) from 2.30pm (EST)
Sep 16: Third Test (Colombo) from 2.30pm (EST)