AGENCIES
SYDNEY
Ian Chappell believes Australian selectors have short-changed Nathan Lyon by spurning him yet again from the one-day team. The shrewd off-spinner didn't make the cut in a 13-man squad for the first three of five ODI matches against India this month, starting in Perth on Tuesday.
Lyon has repeatedly indicated his desire to play limited-overs cricket internationally, and has enjoyed solid form this summer in Tests along with his two domestic Twenty20 matches for Big Bash League side the Sydney Sixers. However the 28-year-old has played just eight ODIs and is yet to make his international T20 debut.
Glenn Maxwell was the only tweaker named in the squad, which includes allrounder Mitch Marsh and young uncapped quicks Joel Paris and Scott Boland. Shane Watson and Usman Khawaja were the other notable absentees.
Chappell described the youthful line-up as "pretty decent", but couldn't understand why Lyon had been overlooked. "I think Nathan Lyon's getting short-changed because he's easily the best spinner in Australia," the former Australian skipper told AAP. "If you're a good bowler you'll adapt.
"If they say you've got five days to take wickets, you'll go about it accordingly. If you're told you've got 50 overs, you'll change your approach and if you've only got 20, then again you'll change your approach... I've seen Nathan Lyon bowl in T20. Last season in particular he bowled absolutely brilliantly for the Sixers. He's threatening."
Chappell, who on Friday participated in the Optus small business Cricket Legends competition in Sydney, was also surprised that paceman James Pattinson missed out. "Especially for the first two in Perth and Brisbane - two pitches that help the quickies," he said.
Chappell said another exclusion, Chris Lynn, couldn't have done much more to press his case than his dazzling Big Bash League form for the Brisbane Heat. But he did not think the omission of the competition's leading run-scorer would stop him being selected for this year's T20 World Cup in India.
