Nathan Lyon retires from Australia..

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has officially passed on the role of leading the team’s iconic victory song to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, which sparked his retirement rumors on the ongoing West Indies tour. They are currently on the West Indies tour for 3 Tests and 5 T20Is.

Nathan Lyon has had the honor of leading the team’s iconic victory song for over a decade, making him the longest-serving "song-master" in Australian cricket history.

However, the spinner has passed the honor to Alex Carey, but he has made it clear that he is not going to retire anytime soon.

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Nathan Lyon quashes retirement rumors after handing over Australia team song to Alex Carey

Australia’s one of the most successful spinners. Nathan took on the responsibility in 2013 from Mike Hussey after playing only 18 tests at that time, and since then, he has sung ‘Under the Southern Cross I Stand.’

Some of his most emotional renditions include the victory after Phil Hughes’ tragic passing in 2015 and the historic 5-0 Ashes win over England in 2013–14.

However, Carey briefly led the song during the 2023 Ashes when Lyon was out injured, but Australia didn’t win another Test in that series.

Now, with Lyon back and still hungry for success, he officially hands over the duty to Carey, but he is still hungry to lead Australia to a Test series win in India and England. Lyon has not yet won a Test series in India and England.

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Nathan Lyon to retire after winning Test series in England and India

With Australia set for another tour of India and a blockbuster Ashes series at home, Lyon said that his goals are very clear. The victory song might now be Carey's to sing, but Lyon has confirmed that he has not even given a thought to retirement from the game.

Nathan Lyon was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “I've been very honored to first lead the song but to have it for 12, 13 years, it's been one of the biggest highlights of my career."

"I've been thinking about it for a while now, but this definitely doesn't mean I'm retiring anytime soon. There's no talk about me retiring or even thoughts coming into my head.”

The Australian spinner further noted, “I've always said I want to win away in India, and I want to win away in England. Obviously, we've got that opportunity in a couple of years' time, but we've also got to take it test by test and make sure we're doing everything here and getting the games here in the West Indies right.:

"Then we've got a massive summer at home with the Ashes. But also, another World Test Championship final will be on my cards.”

Alex Carey is the perfect candidate for Australia’s victory song leader: Nathan Lyon

Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon had planned to hand over Australia’s team song to Alex Carey during the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, but they lost the game. So, he handed over the role to Carey in Barbados, where they thrashed the West Indies in the first Test.

Lyon signed off by saying, “It's more about the team environment and making sure that I get the opportunity to pass it on to someone who I look at and absolutely love and the way he goes about it on and off the field. I just feel like Alex is the perfect candidate. I feel like I ran my race with it, and it's time for someone else to put their touch on it.”

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