Nathan Lyon desperate to play ODI cricket

Sydney: Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has said that he is desperate to play one-day international cricket and represent his country in the 2015 World Cup, given that he has been regularly overlooked for the format.

According to News.com.au, there has been a feeling that Lyon, often touted as the No.1 spin bowler in Australia, is a five-day bowler, for which he may have been regularly overlooked for the shorter formats of the game in favour of Xavier Doherty and now Fawad Ahmed. The report further said that Lyon, who claimed a three-wicket haul in the Australians` two-day tour match against the England Lions in Northampton on Friday, will however, return to his new state side New South Wales once the Ashes wraps up at The Oval on August 25 instead of playing in the upcoming ODIs and Twenty20s against England. However, Lyon claimed that he is desperate to add to his two ODI appearances, saying that his goal is to play all three formats for Australia as it is better for him if he gets the chance to play more cricket, although he admitted that he has not yet had any dialogue with national selector John Inverarity over his standing in ODI cricket. Inverarity had said that Pakistan-born former asylum seeker Ahmed would also be under consideration for the return Ashes series in Australia, suggesting that Lyon`s place is not safe for the series with Ahmed entering the picture. But Lyon insisted that he is not thinking about that and is concentrating on winning the final Ashes Test in England, adding that he will worry about the future after going back to Australia and setting himself up for NSW. At stumps on day one in Northampton, the Lions were 7-269 after 77 overs, with 83 overs available for the innings, the report added. ANI