Australian spinner Nathan Lyon recently lauded the talents of young all-rounder Cameron Green, likening his potential to that of cricket legend Jacques Kallis. This praise came amidst Australia's ongoing second Test against West Indies at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Heading into Day 4, Australia were positioned at 60 for 2, with Green and Steve Smith at the crease. They require an additional 156 runs for victory, following their successful dismissal of the West Indies for 193 on Day 3.
Lyon, while speaking to reporters, shared his admiration for Green, reflecting on the challenge he posed during their domestic shield games. He expressed his belief that Green has the potential to mirror the achievements of Jacques Kallis, especially in the number four position.
"There is so much confidence in that change room around all the guys and not just Smithy batting at No.1 and Cameron at number four. I have had the challenge of bowling to Green in Shield cricket with him batting at No.4 and he has given me a lot of headaches. I actually enjoy seeing him bat at number four and I feel like he could be the next Jacques Kallis of international cricket at number four," said Lyon.
Green, a World Cup champion with Australia, has firmly established himself in the national team across all formats. At just 24 years old, he has already made significant contributions, amassing 1,106 runs in 26 Tests, 442 runs in 23 ODIs, and 139 runs in eight T20Is, alongside taking 53 wickets in total.
Jacques Kallis, the renowned South African all-rounder, retired from international cricket in 2014, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy. He scored a total of 25,534 runs and took 577 wickets across different formats, making him South Africa's top run-scorer in both Test and ODI cricket with 13,289 runs in 165 Tests and 11,579 runs in ODIs.
In addition to praising Green, Lyon also commented on Steve Smith's performance, noting that Smith's impressive statistics speak for themselves. Lyon's confidence in both players underscores the strength and depth of talent in the Australian cricket team.
"I don't need to talk about Smithy; his numbers speak for themselves. There has been no-one worried about Smithy's form. We are talking about arguably the greatest player of the last decade and there is a lot of talk about his batting. I sit here and laugh because he is arguably the best problem solver I have ever played with," Lyon added.
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