Former Proteas opener Stephen Cook has reiterated the threat posed by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon ahead of next month’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s in London, England.
South Africa and Australia will start the WTC final on 11 June. Australia are the reigning champions. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC title in 2021.
Australia have included Lyon, who his the seventh highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket, in the 15-man squad. Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc has also been selected.
“The Aussie new ball attack has, and has been for a long time, a really formidable outfit,” Cook told Independent Media.
“However, I think what ultimately gives them extra potency is Nathan Lyon. I think that ability to know that you’ve got a banker spinner, who has taken gazillions of wickets and can hold up an end, and allow you to rotate those seamers out of the end, through the middle part of the innings of the day – that’s been their secret sauce.”
Cook played 11 Tests from 2016 to 2017. Three were against Australia. He hit a century against an opposition bowling attack which included Lyon and Starc in Adelaide in 2016.
“Obviously Starc being a left-armer, the angle – if he does get that Duke ball to swing, then that’s a huge weapon. He hasn’t really been able to get that to happen consistently. Some tours he gets it to swing, others not. Sometimes it depends on the addition of that ball,” added Cook.