Lyon shows the power of persistence

Earlier this year, in Jamaica, Nathan Lyon became Australia's most prolific offspin bowler, surpassing the venerable record held by Hugh Trumble.

As a mirthful way of marking this achievement, team-mates took to calling Lyon "The GOAT" aka Greatest of All Time. When the Frank Worrell Trophy was presented at Sabina Park, they joined in a laughing chorus of "GOAT, GOAT, GOAT", much to Lyon's acute embarrassment.

Light-hearted labels aside, Lyon's achievements over the past four years are something to be genuinely admired, and looked upon as an example of what is possible when a spin bowler is persisted with and made welcome within a team. On Thursday, he will add another achievement to his earlier surpassing of Trumble, becoming the first Australian offspinner to play 50 Tests.

His story stands in marked contrast to the dreaded "spin cycle" that consumed so many slow bowlers for Australia over the four years preceding his 2011 debut, at a time when selectors and players alike expected another Shane Warne to appear out of thin air. As such, Australia have become an example for the rest of the world where once they were something approaching a laughing stock.

In identifying Lyon, the selection panel led by Andrew Hilditch made one of their best moves in the final days of their tenure. His height, loop, spin and steady character were all attributes of great value, just needing to be nurtured by selectors, coaches and captains sensitive to the difficulties of the spinner's art. Fortunately, the men who replaced Hilditch's panel largely did so, an act of faith that has been bountifully rewarded.

One of the better judges of the difference Lyon has made to Australia's fortunes is Graeme Smith, the former South Africa captain who in 2009 helped mastermind the first series victory by a touring side down under in 16 years. In Smith's final series, Lyon was a key link man in a 2014 victory in South Africa. When asked about the key to Australia's improvement, Smith had little hesitation naming the spin bowler ahead of other, bigger names.

"I think Lyon has been the key factor in Australian cricket of late," Smith said last year. "I think he has added a lot of solidness around the bowling attack and I think his role in Australian cricket has been very important.

"If your spinner's struggling and your quick bowlers keep having to come back and keep having to come back again and gain, eventually they're going to break. Tactically it is key to not have to do that with your quicks. It took a long time for Australian cricket to replace Shane Warne. Not with a world-beater, but with a role-player.

"A key man in our success was Paul Harris. He wasn't a world-beater but he filled a solid role for us, which allowed Steyn, Ntini, Morkel and others to go for it, be fresh for their next spell and make an impact. That's why Lyon has really added a lot of value. He just allows the game to stand still so you can make an impact, instead of having to bring back fast bowlers when teams are going at five an over."

Lyon was helped early on by Michael Clarke, a captain as sympathetic to spin bowlers as Ricky Ponting had once been unforgiving. He used Lyon skilfully, allowing his young tweaker to attack without overexposing him to batsmen who might have dismantled him before his confidence grew sufficiently to withstand their challenge. Brad Haddin also helped as a wicketkeeper Lyon trusted, a relationship now being replicated by Peter Nevill.

Like Lyon himself, Nevill is softly-spoken and unfussy in how he goes about his business, but their mid-pitch conferences are a key to how the bowler's spells unfold. "Nathan is always looking for feedback, before and after every over," Nevill said. "He asks how I'm seeing things and I suppose you develop that relationship over a period of time.

"A lot of it is very specific, he'll ask how his pace is, if I think he's bowling the right line for this batsman, if he should be coming over the wicket or around he wicket. Just little things like that, he'll be thinking out loud and just needs somebody to bounce it off. I think that's unique to Nathan a little bit, but that's just the way Nathan is.

"I'm very pleased to see him play his 50th Test, and hopefully he's only a third of the way there and can play 150!"

The other way Clarke, Haddin, Nevill and others have supported Lyon is through their catching. Unforgettably, Clarke snaffled a half chance from the edge of Kumar Sangakkara's bat from Lyon's very first ball in Test cricket at Galle in 2011, while Haddin and Nevill have both claimed some exceptional snares. Notably, Lyon's least profitable phase in Test cricket - when his supply of wickets dried up and he was twice dropped from the side - coincided with a period in which Matthew Wade was not always able to glove him cleanly.

There was a welcome contrast to this in Adelaide last week, when Nevill hung onto a half chance from the scything bat of Tom Latham. Nevill called it "probably the best catch I've taken at Test level", and Lyon spoke of that kind of support in terms that left few in any doubt that he is far more confident for soft hands at the other end of the pitch.

"For Pete to take that catch was an unbelievable catch really," Lyon said. "It happened pretty quick and it was a late edge and I think it was an under edge as well I think. To take that, that shows the sign of a real keeper in my book.

"I'm a big fan of his the way he conducts himself on and off the field, he's an extreme professional the way he goes about his business and I'm more than happy to keep bowling to Pete, I really want to see him go well and I think he's been an unsung hero really over the last couple of games."

With greater experience and confidence has also come greater seniority. Lyon was entrusted with the task of singing Australia's team victory song by Michael Hussey when still a cricketer learning his trade, but in the fledgling captaincy era of Steven Smith, he is now a pivotal part of the team, not only as a bowler but also a leader. For his part, Smith is grateful to have a dependable man in the spinner's role, and their relationship is summed up by frequent dinners and even the odd movie watched together - in Adelaide it was The Duff.

Perhaps the greatest compliment that has been paid to Lyon in recent times is the fact that other nations have tried to emulate his progression. Spin bowlers are now less likely to be chosen and then discarded swiftly. In the recent meeting between Australia and New Zealand, many critical views were expressed about Mark Craig, a bowler of skill but not yet Lyon's consistency. However the captain Brendon McCullum and the coach Mike Hesson are united in their belief that persistence and faith are vital to developing Craig, and they will not be jettisoning him any time soon.

"In terms of continuity and faith in selection, to me that's critical in terms of developing any player, but especially a spin bowler who's going to have the odd bad day," Hesson said. "Knowing that it's more about what they deliver rather than necessarily the outcome sometimes, there are times when that's outside of your control.

"We certainly like to spend our time identifying a player, and if we do pick them then we want to give them enough time and some continuity and some faith in selection is a key element of that."

So it is that Lyon is no longer cast as a project player, but as an example for others to follow. As for his view of Craig, it is not surprising to hear him speak supportively of another member of the spin "brotherhood", having the benefit of his own experiences to back up the opinion. As such, these are views to be heeded.

"Definitely persist with him, he's a talented bowler,' Lyon said. "He goes up the back of the ball and as an offspinner that's what I like to see. I would much rather see guys attempt to go up the back of the ball than under cut it, so he's definitely got some talent there. He has taken some big scalps in our batting line up with Steve Smith being up there as his best wicket, being the number 1 batter in the world and he plays spin quite well. So he's definitely talented, don't worry about that."

The GOAT has spoken.