Lyon poised to sign with Lancashire after injury layoff provides new goals

Nathan Lyon is poised to sign a deal to play a full County Championship season with Lancashire next year where he will team up with long-time rival Jimmy Anderson and has reiterated his desire to continue to play Test cricket until the 2027 Ashes series in England.

Lyon is also aiming to play in the BBL for his new club Melbourne Renegades against his old side Sydney Sixers, who he said "basically sacked him", ahead of his Test return against Pakistan in mid-December.

Lyon, 35, made a successful return to Sheffield Shield cricket over the weekend in New South Wales' loss to Victoria at the MCG. Lyon bowled 36 overs across two innings in the match and returned figures of 1 for 81 on a pitch that favoured the seam bowlers.

Australia's greatest-ever Test offspinner had not played a first-class game since he tore his calf badly during the second Test of the Ashes series at Lord's in late June. Australia have seven Tests this summer against Pakistan and West Indies at home and New Zealand away but do not have another series scheduled between mid-March 2024 and the following home summer where they will host India in a five-match series.

It presents an opportunity for Australia's Test specialists to play county cricket with Scott Boland already signed to play with Durham. Lyon confirmed he has a contract on the table from Lancashire, which was first reported by the UK's Daily Telegraph, and he is likely to sign this week.

"There's an offer on the table," Lyon said at a cricket clinic in Melbourne on Monday. "I really wanted to see how this week went. It all went really well. So that's a conversation when I get home with my wife tomorrow night. [We'll] have a chat about heading over there. It's looking pretty good that I'll head over to Lancs hopefully, we'll dot all the i's, cross all the t's, get that signed and head over there to play with Jimmy Anderson which will be good.

"At this stage, it's a full season [contract] but there's a lot of water to go under the bridge. But my intentions are to go over, play county cricket and go there and keep learning."

Lyon was set to do a stint in county cricket earlier this year ahead of the World Test Championship final and the Ashes but opted to remain at home. He played four matches with Worcestershire in 2017.

His serious calf injury was a huge blow to Australia in the Ashes and he has admitted it took him to some dark places personally when he watched the remainder of the series from home in Sydney. But the injury has strengthened his resolve to continue playing Test cricket with the next away tours of India and England in 2027 clear targets in his mind.

"It's probably extended [my career], to be honest with you," Lyon said. "I've always said I wanted to win in India and England. Haven't been able to do that. So, it looks like we've got to go again."

Lyon is keen to play as much cricket as he can between now and then. He is scheduled to play two more Shield games for New South Wales against Western Australia and Tasmania before the Test summer begins, both at the SCG, but he will rest from the trip to Hobart to play Tasmania in between.

He is also keen to make his BBL debut for Renegades on December 8 against Sixers at the SCG, just a day before the Test players are due to head to Perth to prepare for the first home Test of the summer against Pakistan at Perth Stadium starting on December 14.

"That's my plan," Lyon said. "I haven't spoken to Cricket Australia or the Renegades yet but my plan is to be available for selection. I'm looking forward to joining the Renegades. I feel like we're getting all the old boys back together with Sids [Peter Siddle], and Sos [Shaun Marsh] and Finchy [Aaron Finch] and myself.

"But having someone like Quinton de Kock, who I absolutely idolised playing against, I think he's exceptional and you can see what he's doing for South Africa. It's pretty special. I'm looking forward to it."

Lyon has been watching the ODI World Cup but said he is following as a fan and is not waiting by the phone after volunteering his services to coach Andrew McDonald prior to the tournament when Ashton Agar was ruled out with injury.

He took great delight in seeing England lose to India overnight.

"Absolutely loved it," Lyon said. "It's international cricket. I respect them as people. I think they're very nice people. But when it comes to cricket, what do you want me to say?"