Nathan Lyon whacks England over Ashes controversies, including Bairstow dismissal, Lord’s reception and what the Aussie spinner REALLY thinks about Bazball: ‘It’s a load of s***’
England’s 2023 Ashes series has been steeped in controversy as Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has spoken out on some of the biggest dramas – and he didn’t hold back.
Lyon played the first two Tests of The Ashes series before being ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a calf injury.
He has since become a new father and is preparing for the summer of Test cricket against Pakistan and the West Indies.
He appeared on Channel 7 show The Front Bar, hosted by comedian Mick Molloy, where he was asked a series of questions about the heated Ashes series that ended 2–2, allowing Australia to retain the urn.
Lyon is over his calf injury and is back playing cricket in the Sheffield Shield, but he still has plenty to say against England after a fiery Ashes series
Nathan Lyon is now a proud father, pictured at Sydney airport on his way to Western Australia
And Lyon came out swinging, criticizing controversial English media personality Piers Morgan’s claims that England were the ‘moral’ winners of The Ashes.
“If you had said at the start of the year that we would win the World Test Championship, retain the Ashes and then the boys would win the World Cup, I think everyone would have jumped at the chance,” he said.
‘It’s a shame that England have won morally.’
His comment left the panel in disarray, with Molloy replying: “You can’t drink from the moral victory cup, can you?”
However, Lyon saved its best performances for Bazball, the brand of cricket created by England coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes to revive the sport with aggressive batting and bold statements.
“I’m 2-0 against Bazball, so I’m happy,” Lyon chuckled.
‘It’s a load of nonsense, if you ask me. It is a brand of cricket that the English want to continue with. Now it’s in the dictionary, which is pretty special.”
Front Bar presenter Mick Molloy replied: ‘It’s in the dictionary between the Hindenberg and the Titanic’.
Jonny Bairstow was unimpressed by the punching that led to his wicket in the second Ashes Test at Lords
Lyon bats on one leg in the second Ashes Test at Lords after injuring his calf during the match, ruling him out for the rest of the series
Lyon also had no sympathy for Jonny Bairstow, the England wicketkeeper who sensationally ran out because he thought the over was complete and the ball was dead.
It was a crucial turning point in the second Test that led to a famous Australian victory, but there were many English players and supporters who voiced their disapproval.
“I think it’s great,” Lyon said when asked about the ‘hoo-ha’ of the Ashes.
‘It’s very simple. Stay put and you won’t get out of it. But I sat in the changing rooms on my crutch watches and I think I celebrated it more than anyone else. It was pretty amazing. But I’ve never seen an audience react like that before.’
The offspinner also spoke about the dramatic scenes in the Lord’s Long Room, where members booed and hissed the Australian players as they returned to their sheds.
That led to clashes between Australian players David Warner and Usman Khawaja, with ugly scenes that saw two Lord’s members temporarily stripped of their privileges and a third banned for life.
Australian Test batsman Usman Khawaja clashes with Lord’s members in heated scenes after Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal
However, Lyon said the players never thought they were in real danger.
“We all thought it was pretty funny,” Lyon said.
“Look in the Long Chamber and we all said we were more likely to be charged than to be beaten. We were quite surprised about it. But it was funny.
When the boys returned after lunch it seemed as if the members were being spoken to by the headmaster and they were all primary school children again.’
And Lyon confirmed the England players turned down an invitation to join the Aussies for traditional post-Ashes beers in their barns.
“Normally after an Ashes series you have a beer or a couple and talk about the series, but unfortunately England didn’t really respond to Pat’s text messages that came through which is quite disappointing in the grand scheme of things,” he said .