‘I want to play cricket for as long as I can’ – Nathan Lyon opens up on retirement plans

Nathan Lyon is on the verge of making history as he is only four wickets shy of 500 Test wickets, a feat that has been achieved by only seven bowlers till now, including three spinners – Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble.

Australia announced their playing XI for the first Test against Pakistan, in Perth, on Wednesday, December 13, one day prior to the clash. Lyon returned to the Australian Test team after suffering a freak calf injury while fielding during the second Ashes Test earlier this year. The veteran off-spinner will have the chance to enter the prestigious 500-club at a venue where he has picked up 22 wickets in three Tests at an average of 18.45.

Lyon, who is mostly considered a red-ball specialist, was asked about his retirement plans ahead of the first Test. The 36-year-old didn’t wish to put a time frame on his retirement and mentioned that he wants to win Test series in India and England before hanging up his boots.

“I’m not putting a number on it,” he said when asked if he was targeting Warne’s record as Australia’s greatest-ever Test bowler. I want to play cricket for as long as I can,” Lyon told Cricket Australia (CA).

“I haven’t won a Test series in India, haven’t won in England – those are two places that I want to do, so with the injury happening a couple of months ago, I feel like there’s a passion there to keep going and keep trying to get better. I’ve had the mentality to try and rehab this like no-one’s rehabbed a calf injury before,” Lyon added.

Australia are scheduled to embark on another Ashes tour to England in 2027. Pat Cummins and Co. took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes in England earlier this year. However, they couldn’t hold onto the lead as England won two of the last three Tests to square the series.