Australia’s star spinner Nathan Lyon recently sustained a calf injury while fielding on Day 2 of the second Ashes 2023 Test at Lord’s.

Lyon immediately left the field following the injury and was later seen walking with crutches the next day. However, he came out to bat for the Australian side in their second innings despite the injury and was widely appreciated for his commitment towards the game.

Although Australia emerged victorious in the Test by 43 runs, Lyon was ruled out of the remaining Ashes 2023 series due to a calf tear. The 35-year-old didn’t bowl a single over during the fourth innings of the second Test.

It would be the first time since 100 Tests that Australia will take the field without Lyon in the longest format. The off-spinner recently became the first bowler in cricketing history to feature in  100 consecutive Test matches.

The Australian team will most likely go with Todd Murphy as Lyon’s replacement in the upcoming fixture at Headingley. Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald hinted the same to the media.

“Todd is pretty well placed. We like to have a spinner in our attack, it’s a different balance. As you saw (at Lord’s), at certain times, we had to do it differently without Nathan Lyon down the other end, which we’ve been so used to. At times it looked a bit chaotic. We do like to have that spin option in the attack,” McDonald told the press.

Speaking of Murphy, the 22-year-old gained recognition after his sensational performance against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2023. Murphy bagged 14 scalps in four Tests against India on the tour. Meanwhile, his first-class tally of wickets reads 43.

With the win in the Lord’s Test, Australia are now just one victory away from retaining the Ashes urn. The visitors currently lead the five-match series (2-0) and will next face England at Headingley from July 6.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

George Bailey has been appointed the new chairman of selectors of Australia men’s cricket team following the retirement of Trevor Hohns.

Hohns had a combined 16 years as chief selector across his two stints from 1995 to 2005 and 2016 to 2021. He was a selector in the successful World Cup campaigns of 1999 and 2003, apart from three successful Ashes defences against England.

Bailey takes over from him after joining the selection panel in February last year, replacing Greg Chappell, and stepping straight into the job after his retirement from international cricket.

Bailey played 57 (29 ODIs and 28 T20Is) matches for Australia as captain.

“Firstly, I would like to thank Trevor for his incredible work which has helped shape the success of Australian cricket over a long period, including during my days as a player and captain,” Bailey said in a statement.

“In what can be a challenging job Trevor has always been calm, consistent and approachable. Similarly to his journey, he has made my transition from player to selector as smooth as possible. There is a lot I will take from Trevor’s style and very much look forward to the journey ahead,” he added.

Ben Oliver, Executive General Manager – National Teams at Cricket Australia, said the board has started looking for a third-panel member to join Bailey and head coach Justin Langer.

“George is a highly respected leader who is now well established on the NSP alongside Justin as the head coach. The third panel member will add to their combined experience as we look for someone who will bring complimentary,” Oliver said.

Meanwhile, the Australian men’s team will take on the hosts Bangladesh in a five-match T20I series starting August 3 in Dhaka.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.