Nathan Lyon announcement stuns cricket fans after shock BBL club switch

Nathan Lyon has stunned cricket fans after announcing he will leave the Sydney Sixers after 10 years to link up with the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL. Australia's greatest off-spinner spent 10 seasons with the Sixers, helping them win the 2019-20 title.

But after limited opportunities in Sydney over the past few seasons, Lyon has joined the Renegades on a three-year deal. In doing so, the Test superstar will join forces with white-ball specialist Adam Zampa.

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"I'm absolutely thrilled to be part of the Melbourne Renegades," Lyon said in a statement. "(Marvel Stadium's) a place where I enjoy bowling, it tends to spin a little bit. I'm looking forward to hopefully joining up with 'Zamps' in a really good partnership and putting a show on for the Renegades fans.

"I've got some really good friends who are part of the Melbourne Renegades, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to come down. There's a good group of senior players there who I've played a lot of cricket with internationally and also domestically, then you look at the younger guys throughout the roster – it's a pretty powerful squad in my eyes."

Melbourne Renegades general manager James Rosengarten said: "Over the last couple of years, we've had a clear plan around transforming our playing list to give our club the best opportunity to contend for another BBL championship. Being able to add two world-class spinners in Nathan and Adam to our squad for the next couple of years is a significant step in that process, one which we're confident will help to set us up for success over the coming seasons."

The Renegades won the BBL title in 2018-19, but have suffered three-consecutive last-placed finishes ever since. Lyon's signing comes after Zampa made the switch from the Melbourne Stars this off-season, leaving fans to question how both spinners will fit into the team. While the majority of Renegades fans were excited to see how it would play out, Sixers fans were left saddened by the news.

Nathan Lyon shoots down retirement talk after injury

The 35-year-old Lyon is currently recovering from a calf injury he suffered in the second Ashes Test at Lord's last month. The off-spinner recently said he's confident he'll be back before the Aussie summer, which includes the BBL.

Lyon won widespread praise for coming out to bat with the injury, combining with Mitchell Starc to produce a valuable 10th wicket partnership. He later revealed that only coach Andrew McDonald gave him the tick of approval to bat when the medical staff discouraged it.

"(Wife Emma) just looked at me and said 'you are an absolute idiot. I'm helping you in the shower and everything like that, you're an idiot'," Lyon recalled on the 'Willow Talk Cricket' podcast. "I went to the ground, spoke to the medical team in the morning, they said 'nah, you're not batting'. So I went to Pat (Cummins) and Pat said 'you're not batting, Gaz, get it out of your head'.

"I went to (coach Andrew McDonald) and said 'I am batting'. He goes 'good, I'm thinking the same thing'. I knew the risks. If it was a minor tear I probably wouldn't have gone out ... But I knew I was out for the next 10-12 weeks."

The 36-year-old said he knew immediately that his Ashes series was over, but has dismissed any talk that the injury will force him into retirement from Test cricket. "I went to take off and I just heard this little gun shot and just felt it go straight away. I knew straight away my series was done there and then," he said.

"I was confident I would have caught that catch if I was able to push off my right foot. I remember Uzzie (Khawaja) running over saying 'what's up? You got a cramp?'.

"And I said 'nup, I've just blown my calf to bits'. The emotions set in then I sat in the changerooms for the next three-and-a-half days."

with AAP

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