Nathan Lyon Over-Qualified For Australian ODI Selection

Nathan Lyon says he will try to bowl worse in an effort to be selected in Australia’s ODI team.

The squad announced this week to play England has Ashton Agar as the preferred spinner over the in-form Test tweaker.

Lyon says he has only himself to blame for his omission.

Rod Marsh says I would have been picked, except I’m bowling too well in Test cricket.

Although technically true, I’m disappointed that the selectors didn’t have enough faith in me to bowl worse.

I should have learnt their preferences when Xavier Doherty was selected ahead of me for the World Cup.

Australian Chairman of selectors Rod Marsh says he understands Lyon’s disappointment, but it was all about team balance.

We wanted to send a strong message to Nathan Lyon that taking wickets and closing out games are traits from a bygone era.

So too is handy number 11 batting.

If you want to play in this side, we need more commitment to mediocrity.

By selecting Ashton Agar, we are demonstrating that under achievement is a sacrosanct cornerstone of Australian selection policy.

It builds on a decade of Shane Watson, Ed Cowan, Rob Quiney, Usman Khawaja and Matthew Wade.

It shouldn’t be too easy to make an Australian team these days as a spinner.

Just ask Doherty, Maxwell, Fawad Ahmed or O’Keefe how many wickets they didn’t need to take before they got a shot.

Lyon says the selectors have quickly forgotten how poor his bowling can be.

I’m great at full tosses. I also have a long hops in my arsenal.

I haven’t really bowled them since 2011, but if given the chance, I know I can come through.

I can also lob down little darts that are easily carted to the boundary.

Chosen spinner Ashton Agar says his selection was no real surprise.

The selectors have always been clear about this.

An average left armer who gets minimal turn away from right handers will always be preferred over world class offies.

It is about which way the ball moves rather than any ability to bowl well.

England have demonstrated this successfully over the years with James Anderson.

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