At 37 years old and with over 550 wickets to his name, Nathan Lyon has no plans to retire just yet. Instead, he’s focused on achieving three tough goals before he hangs up his boots.
Given his age, questions about retirement have become a regular part of Lyon’s career. Yet, despite nearly 14 years in international cricket, he has no intention of stopping. In fact, he’s set his sights on three major objectives — winning series in India and England to erase unfinished business, and securing another Test Championship trophy.
Lyon was part of Australia’s victorious squad in the second edition of the 2023 Test Championship. He had a chance to defend that title this year, but last month, despite being favorites, Australia lost the final to South Africa.
Quickly moving on, Australia kicked off a new cycle with a win over the West Indies in the Barbados Test, meeting expectations. While the pace bowlers dominated on a helpful pitch, Lyon contributed with three wickets. He also once again led the team in singing the victory song in the dressing room.
This tradition has been his responsibility for over a decade. Since Rodney Marsh’s time, winning teams at Australia have sung “Under the Southern Cross I Stand” in the dressing room. Previously, Mike Hussey held this duty until he retired in 2013, passing it to Lyon.
At that point, Lyon had played just 19 Tests. Since then, he has led the team in this ritual through 119 Tests. Injuries kept him out of all three matches of the 2023 Ashes, and he temporarily handed over the role to Alex Carey — though Australia failed to win any of those games, so Carey never got to lead the song. Lyon returned afterward to resume his role.
But for how much longer? Asked before the second Test against the West Indies, Lyon was clear: not anytime soon.
“I’ve had the honor of leading the song for 12-13 years now. It’s one of the highlights of my career. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but that doesn’t mean I’m planning to retire soon. There’s been no talk of retirement, and it hasn’t even crossed my mind.”
“I always say I want to win a series in India and in England. I’m confident I’ll get that chance within the next couple of years. But it has to be step by step — first, we need to get our job done here against the West Indies. Then comes the Ashes at home. And winning another Test Championship final is also on my list of goals.”
Though Australia managed to retain the Ashes in England with a drawn series, they haven’t won there in two decades. Since the 2004 series wins by Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting in India, Australia has failed to secure a series win in England.
If Lyon continues to play and perform until then, he could surpass Shane Warne’s wicket tally. The legendary leg-spinner retired with 708 wickets, while Lyon currently has 556. Australia plays a heavy Test schedule, and in the current Test Championship cycle alone, they have 22 matches lined up. Lyon has proven himself effective in all conditions.
However, he’s clear about his focus:
“Warne is still a long way ahead. In my eyes, he’s the greatest ever to play the game. I’m just fortunate to be part of a very special cricket team. We are on the path to becoming a great Test team… but I always say, we’re not there yet.”
“We want to get there. Being part of this bowling attack and playing my role in that is something very special. That’s why I’m still playing.”
Nathan Lyon’s journey continues — driven by big goals, team pride, and a desire to leave a lasting legacy.
