Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has declared he is fully committed to playing every Test match he is available for, as he targets a return ahead of Australia's series against Bangladesh in Darwin in August 2025. The 37-year-old, who tore his hamstring during the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide last December, described the injury as a significant setback but said his rehabilitation has gone to plan.

Road to Recovery

Lyon has resumed bowling at Cricket Central in Sydney following a gruelling rehabilitation programme that included logging more than 700 km on a road bike. Cricket Australia physical performance coach Ross Herridge described the original injury as severe, explaining that Lyon planted his right leg and dived over it to take a catch, placing the hamstring under extreme stress.

'It was a pretty traumatic injury,' Herridge said. 'We've got physical markers that we check along the way and there's checkpoints to make sure it's going well — and so far he's hit all of them.'

Lyon's Own Words

'Yeah, 100 percent. (I'm) absolutely flying. I feel really good, really confident… very happy with the way it's gone. It's been a lot of hard work, there's no point in hiding behind that, a lot of long days and stuff, but that's all been part of it,' Lyon told reporters on Monday.

Addressing selector comments about his future — attributed to George and Andrew — Lyon confirmed he had spoken to both but was unambiguous about his intentions. 'I wouldn't be doing all this work right now if I didn't want to play every Test match. No one has a given right to be selected for Australia, so I know I need to make sure that I'm performing, doing all the right things. But I'm, hand on heart, set on playing every Test match I'm available for,' he said.

Retirement Never on the Table

Lyon admitted that stepping away from the game had never entered his thinking. He cited watching rugby league's State of Origin, where NSW came from behind to win, as the moment that reignited his competitive drive. 'I was sitting there with my wife and I literally said, I'm not ready to give up this, I'm missing this right now,' he said.

He also expressed confidence in his form before the injury struck. 'Honestly, I felt like, before I blew my hammy off, I was probably bowling the best I've bowled in about six years. Now I know what I need to do to get to that standard. I'm really excited by that challenge.'

Selection Landscape and Pitch Concerns

Lyon acknowledged that conditions have at times worked against him, having been left out of pink-ball Tests last season and overlooked at the MCG and SCG despite Todd Murphy's call-up. With Australia facing a schedule of nearly 21 Tests over the next 12 months, Lyon expressed hope that pitches would strike a better balance between bat and ball.

'A number of years ago it was too batter friendly, now we've swung around and now we're probably too bowler friendly. I think if we get a nice healthy middle we'll see some really good cricket,' he said, stopping short of criticising curators directly.

With 567 Test wickets to his name, Lyon's return will be one of the most closely watched storylines of Australia's packed Test summer ahead.