Lyon open to Australia Test vice-captaincy

Melbourne, June 7: Seasoned off-spinner Nathan Lyon has expressed his willingness to step up as the vice captain of Australia’s Test side and fill the leadership vacuum left by Steve Smith and David Warner.

Following the ball-tampering saga that rocked Australian cricket earlier this year, Australia have named Tim Paine as the skipper but are yet to name his deputy and Lyon, the country’s most experienced Test player by some margin, is among the leading contenders to fill the role.

The 30-year-old was overlooked when Warner was appointed Smith’s deputy in 2015 and while he has no senior captaincy experience, he is a highly respected member of the playing group.

Lyon says fellow bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are among those who need to take on extra responsibility, regardless of who gets the job. IANS