Nathan Lyon Not Retiring Anytime Soon: Eyes Border-Gavaskar, Ashes & WTC Final Glory
Veteran Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has clarified that he has no plans to retire “anytime soon” despite stepping down from his longstanding role as the custodian of Australia’s famous post-victory team song, Under the Southern Cross I Stand. Lyon passed the responsibility to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, but stressed this move doesn’t signal the end of his playing career.
Lyon, who has been Australia’s premier spinner for over 13 years, said he’s still as motivated as ever to achieve two elusive goals — winning a Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India and an Ashes series in England. In addition, the 36-year-old has already set his sights on playing in the next World Test Championship (WTC) final, scheduled for 2027 in England.
“I’ve been very honoured to first lead the song, but to have it for 12, 13 years, it’s been one of the biggest highlights of my career,” Lyon told ESPNcricinfo. “But this definitely doesn’t mean I’m retiring anytime soon. There’s no talk about me retiring or even thoughts coming in my head.”
Eyes Set on India, England and the WTC Final
Lyon’s hunger for success remains strong. Despite already having over 500 Test wickets, he still has major goals that fuel his competitive fire.
“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 first, we’ve got to take it Test by Test, including our current series in the West Indies and a massive home summer with the Ashes coming up.”
The next Ashes is scheduled to take place in Australia during the 2025–26 season, and the next India tour will likely be part of the 2026–27 WTC cycle — both in Lyon’s crosshairs.
Passing the Torch: Why Alex Carey?
Lyon, who took over the post-match singing duties from Mike Hussey in 2013 — a tradition started by the late Rod Marsh — said he had been considering the transition for a while. Carey, now 41 Tests into his international career, seemed like the ideal choice.
“I just feel like Alex is the perfect candidate. I love the way he goes about things on and off the field. I feel like I ran my race with it, and it’s time for someone else to put their touch on it.”
Carey had already stood in for Lyon during the 2023 Ashes when the off-spinner was sidelined by injury.
Lyon Reflects on Journey
Australia are currently playing a three-Test series in the West Indies, where Lyon is one of only two players — along with Mitchell Starc — who toured the Caribbean in 2012. That memory gave him pause for reflection.
“There’s been a lot of hard work that goes in behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t see. But I was sitting on the balcony this morning thinking, s**t, I was here in 2012.”
As of now, Lyon remains one of the most durable and dependable players in the Australian Test setup — and clearly, he’s not done yet. With massive goals still ahead, fans can expect to see more of him in the whites for years to come.
