Lyon appoints Carey as Australia's new songmaster but rubbishes retirement rumours
Alex Carey is set to be the new leader for Australia's victory song after every successful Test, having been handed the honour by incumbent songmaster Nathan Lyon. The off-spinner has held the role since 2013 and emphasized that the decision is no reflection of his future as an Australian player.
Nathan Lyon has handed over the singing duties at the end of an Aussie Test win to Alex Carey, who led the honours for the first time after the victory over the West Indies in Barbados. The veteran slipped a letter under Carey's room door on Day 2 of the opening Test, allowing the South Australian to lead the rendition of "Under the Southern Cross I Stand" when the visitors emerged triumphant by 159 runs the following evening.
The tradition was started by Rodney Marsh after a famous Ashes win at the Gabba in 1974 and has since passed down to Allan Border, David Boon, Ian Healy, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, and Michael Hussey. Hussey appointed Lyon as the new songmaster upon his retirement in 2013 and in the 12 years since, Lyon has lead 67 recitals of the iconic verse. However, the 37-year-old has become the first player to pass on the song duties when not retiring or being appointed captain but Lyon has assured that the gesture does not have any subliminal implications.
"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. I've been thinking about it for a while now, 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," Lyon said.
Carey has already performed the duties previously during the 2023 Ashes where Lyon had to leave the tour midway after sustaining a calf-strain. The South Australian has firmly been Australia's first-choice wicket-keeper following Tim Paine's sudden retirement under controversial circumstances in 2021 and in 41 Tests, Carey has nearly accumulated two thousand runs averaging 35 with two tons to his name.
"It's more about the team environment and making sure that I get the opportunity to pass it on to someone who I look at and absolutely love and the way he goes about it on and off the field. I just feel like Alex is the perfect candidate. I feel like I ran my race with it and it's time for someone else to put their touch on it," Lyon said of his compatriot.
Lyon himself has been with the Test team since 2011, racking up 138 Tests and is just seven wickets away from Glenn McGrath's tally of 563 wickets. Only Shane Warne with 708 scalps shall remain thereafter amongst Aussies, but Lyon has revealed his greater priority is to win a series in England and India before he retires. The off-spinner has endured three series losses in the latter and while Australia has managed to draw the Ashes 2-2 on the last two occasions, they last won in 2001.
"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 we've also got to take it Test by Test and make sure we're doing everything here and getting the games here in West Indies right. Then we've got a massive summer at home with the Ashes. But also, another World Test Championship final will be on my cards," Lyon revealed.
"Warney's a long way away. And in my eyes, he's the greatest to ever play the game. I'm just lucky to be part of a pretty special cricket team at the moment. We're on our way to becoming a great cricket team, we not there as I always say. But to be part of this bowling attack and play my role is special. That's the reason why I keep playing."
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