NEW DELHI:
Australia
spinner Nathan Lyon talked candidly about the pressure he felt to perform under the shadow of "once-in-a-generation" star Shane Warne.
Throughout his career, which lasted from 1992 to 2007, Warne reached unmatched records and worked magic with his mastery of spin. With 708 wickets in 145 matches, Warne is Australia's top wicket-taker in the Test format.
Four years later, in 2011,
Lyon
earned his Australian debut, following Warne's 2007 retirement.
Once he made his debut against Sri Lanka in Galle, the 36-year-old has become the go-to spinner.
Even though Lyon has had more than ten successful seasons with the red ball, he occasionally feels under Warne's influence.
"I still feel in the shadow of Shane Warne now, and I'm 129 Test matches in with 530 wickets. The thing is, I'm happy with that, and I'm comfortable with that now. A lot of us felt the pressure of Shane Warne's shadow, and it probably took me a good five, six, or seven years to understand that pressure is a privilege. And if you've got pressure, you're ok, you're doing ok; enjoy it," Lyon told Sky Sports Cricket, as per ANI.
Lyon is Australia's third-highest wicket-taker in Test format history with 530 wickets in 129 appearances. There have been discussions about whether he could dethrone Warne at the age of 36. However, Lyon believes that he will not be able to accomplish what Warne accomplished during his remarkable career.
"I'm never going to be able to do what
Warnie
did. Warnie's once-in-a-generation, he's the greatest to play the game in my opinion, and all I want to do is make my family proud, and make Shane Warne proud, and just go out there and compete," Lyon added.
Lyon needs just 34 more wickets to surpass Glenn McGrath and become the second-most Australian wicket-taker in Test matches.
Lyon will be itching to reach the incredible accomplishment. He is set to play for Australia again in
Test cricket
when the
Border Gavaskar Trophy
begins in Perth on November 22.
English (US) ·