But he was an off-spin bowler.<\/p>\n
The six songmasters before me had all been batsmen or wicketkeepers with an established place in the team. The vagaries of injury, selection and changing conditions at home and abroad has always meant job security is less certain for bowlers. And Australia\u2019s history with off-spinners was particularly fraught. It was fair to say none of Australia\u2019s great spin bowlers up to that point had been \u201coffies\u201d \u2013 Shane Warne, Richie Benaud, Bill O\u2019Reilly, Clarrie Grimmett, you name them, they\u2019d all been leg-spinners.<\/p>\n
So, I was worried about Nathan\u2019s ability to keep his place in a team that was, itself, going through transition.<\/p>\n
After labouring over my decision, I decided I had to trust my gut and make the choice based on character. He was the best person for the job, so I handed it to him.<\/p>\n
Little did I know he would lead the team tune for the next 12 years, playing 100 consecutive Tests right up to the 2023 Ashes. He proved my doubts about his place in the team wrong and became Australia\u2019s off-spin GOAT, with more than 500 wickets to his name.<\/p>\n
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Earlier this year, \u201cGaz\u201d handed the baton on, making wicketkeeper Alex Carey the new songmaster.<\/p>\n
Last week\u2019s Brisbane Test showed how well he chose \u2013 Carey was exemplary with gloves and bat. It might sound ironic to say, given Nathan didn\u2019t play in Brisbane, but I think the Gabba Test also showed how well I chose back in 2013.<\/p>\n
The selectors took a huge risk in dropping Lyon and going into the Test without a specialist spin bowler, especially on such a true surface.<\/p>\n
Although I had an inkling it was being considered, I must confess I was shocked when it was confirmed before the toss that \u201cGaz\u201d was out of the team.<\/p>\n
He has an excellent record at the Gabba. The natural overspin he puts on the ball generates extra bounce from the lively Brisbane pitch and brings close fielders into play. But his record at Optus Stadium in Perth is even stronger, and he only got two overs in the first Test there, so I can see what the selectors were thinking.<\/p>\n
The pink ball used in the Brisbane day-night match can get soft, and England\u2019s batsmen had shown their desire to go hard at the Australian bowling would create plenty of opportunities for the Aussie quicks. So Australia banked on the Brisbane Test being another short game, and gambled on Michael Neser, who had two Tests to his name, over Lyon, who had 140.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure there were times in the game when the selectors would\u2019ve been very nervous and wondering if they\u2019d made the right decision to leave Lyon out of the team. There were certainly plenty of past players and experts saying it was a crazy move, and Lyon made his view crystal-clear when he told the broadcaster he was \u201cfilthy\u201d at being dropped.<\/p>\n
He was walking a fine line with those comments. There\u2019s no doubt he was upset, and it was possible his reaction could have disrupted the team if he\u2019d let his emotions bubble over.<\/p>\n
But what mattered most was how he behaved within the Australian change rooms. And that\u2019s where Nathan\u2019s best qualities have always shone brightest.<\/p>\n
It was OK for Nathan to fiercely guard his place in the team and to disagree with the selectors\u2019 decision to leave him out – I would expect nothing less from him. The key was that he hold himself together, stay positive and do everything the team needed of him. It wouldn\u2019t have been easy, but whenever I saw Nathan running drinks or gloves to his teammates at the Gabba, that\u2019s what he was doing.<\/p>\n
Nathan is now 38 and has been dropped for two of Australia\u2019s past three Tests \u2013 the pink-ball matches in Jamaica and Brisbane \u2013 while having minimal involvement in the Test in between in Perth.<\/p>\n
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But his spirited reaction to these disappointments, shows me he still has the fire within to compete, so I\u2019m expecting him to play all three remaining Tests in this Ashes series and make a significant contribution.<\/p>\n
The Adelaide Oval \u2013 where he famously once worked on the ground staff \u2013 is another ground where he has a strong record. And once more he has a point to prove to his doubters, and a song I\u2019m sure he\u2019s itching to sing with his teammates.<\/p>\n
Mike Hussey played 79 Tests for Australia and will commentate for Fox Cricket and Kayo this summer.<\/p>\n