The Ashes 2nd Test: Nathan Lyon criticises remarks as he went out to bat with concussion sub in mind
The Ashes 2nd Test: In light of Phil Hughes’ passing eight years ago, Nathan Lyon has blasted remarks that he came to bat at Lord’s in an effort to be hit in the head so that Australia could activate a concussion sub as disrespectful.
Despite hobbling to the crease at the conclusion of Australia’s second innings and adding 15 runs for the last wicket with Mitchell Starc, Lyon suffered a calf injury on the second day that almost certainly means he will miss the rest of the trip.
In his analysis of the game for Sky Sports, Kevin Pietersen questioned whether it could have been done to prevent Lyon from being substituted out of the match, which can only happen due to a concussion or Covid-19.
“Imagine if he [Lyon] had been hit in the head and suffered a concussion, he’d have got a like-for-like replacement and a world-class spinner [Todd Murphy], based on how he performed in India, it gives food for thought,” Pietersen added.
The Ashes 2nd Test: Nathan Lyon criticises remarks as he went out to bat with concussion sub in mind
Lyon brought up the passing of Hughes, a player for New South Wales who was killed in late 2014 after being hit by a bouncer, when discussing whether substitutes for a range of injuries should be allowed in cricket.
“Test cricket’s been around a lot longer than I have, and injuries are part of the game,” he remarked. I’ve been accused of going out there solely to get hit in the head, but I strongly disagree with that. If I’m being completely honest with you, I believe that topic is terrible because I recently lost one of my friends to a head injury.
Lyon, who characterised his injury as a “decent tear,” will discuss his future on the tour with Australia’s medical staff again on Sunday, but for the first time since he made his Test debut in 2011, he is prepared to miss a significant amount of time.
He is playing in his 100th straight Test at the time of this injury, and he now has 496 wickets. He acknowledged that the past few days had been trying emotionally, but he was still determined to do anything he could to support Australia.
He declared, “I have been completely shattered.” “I have cried, I have been angry, and I have hurt. That demonstrates how much I value this team. In order to return to my role as well as to continue loving what I am capable of, I shall now embark on this recovery path.
“After doing this for 13 years and not missing a day of school, if you can put it like that, it’s going to be challenging. It’s going to be different. It’s a different challenge. But we always look forward to different challenges and trying to find a way to get better.”
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