Nathan Lyon to retire after 2025-26 Ashes? Veteran off-spinner gives a huge statement

Legendary Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has responded on his potential retirement after the 2025-26 Ashes series at home. The 36-year-old offspinner reckons that it will be too early for him to retire by the end of next Ashes.

Lyon will be 38 years old by the time the Ashes 2025-26 ends. Another legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne retired at the end of the 2005-06 Ashes series, in which Australia regained the urn.

It seemed like Lyon would follow Warne's path by retiring after a home Ashes series but the veteran offspinner has no plans to quit as of now. He also spoke about his time in Lancashire's dressing room in the County Championship this season.

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Nathan Lyon gives a huge statement on his retirement

Lyon expressed his desire to play more Tests for Australia and reckoned that it is still too early for him to take a call on retirement.

"It’s too early (on his retirement call)," Lyon was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Nathan Lyon has played 129 Tests for Australia and picked up 530 wickets at an average of 30.28. He has picked up 24 five-wicket hauls in his Test career so far. The offspinner has been Australia's No. 1 spinner in the red-ball format for a long time now.

After the retirement of Shane Warne, Australia tried several options for their premier spin bowler in Tests. Nathan Hauritz, Jason Krejza, and Xavier Doherty were given the role but nobody could cement their spot. But Lyon emerged as the best of all.

Despite not having many variations, he stuck to the basics and found a way to be effective on Australian pitches, which are usually not conducive to off-spin bowling.

Nathan Lyon on his outing with Lancashire

Lyon also spoke about his time with Lancashire during this County season. He remembered having chats with the left-arm spinner Tom Hartley who had an excellent debut Test series against India earlier this year.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time in England being inside the Lancs change room, listening to guys talk about the Ashes, talk about the way they’re planning, the way they’re going to approach winning out here."

"I had some really good chats with Tom Hartley about different ways that he went about it to different guys, which I found quite interesting. If the plans that we’ve spoken about come true I think it will be interesting," Lyon said.

"India seem to have the ability to grab someone out of nowhere" - Nathan Lyon

The 36-year-old also spoke about the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 which will be held later this year. Lyon pointed out Yashasvi Jaiswal as the biggest challenge to Australia in the upcoming Test series against India.

"India seem to have the ability to grab someone out of nowhere, and they become an absolute superstar. You look at this (Yashasvi) Jaiswal. I haven’t come across him yet, but that’s going to be a massive challenge for all us bowlers. The way he played in the recent Test series against England in India, I watched that quite closely, and I thought that was quite amazing," he added.

Nathan Lyon will have his eyes set on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-25. The offspinner has a crucial role to play in the series and he knows it is 'Ten years of unfinished business.' Lyon has been a part of the last four Test series against India. Australia have lost all of them by an identical 1-2 margin.