Melbourne Renegades have signed Australia offspinner Nathan Lyon for three years starting with BBL13. Lyon will shore up a Renegades spin attack that includes another off-season signing in legspinner Adam Zampa after he was traded from crosstown rivals Melbourne Stars.
The move will bring Australia’s leading red and white-ball spinners together, although Australia’s Test schedule means they are unlikely to play together much in the 2023-24 season.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Melbourne Renegades,” Lyon said. “[Marvel Stadium is] a place where I enjoy bowling, it tends to spin a little bit. I’m looking forward to hopefully joining up with Zamps in a really good partnership and putting a show on for the Renegades fans.
“I’ve got some really good friends who are part of the Melbourne Renegades, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to come down. There’s a good group of senior players there who I’ve played a lot of cricket with internationally and also domestically, then you look at the younger guys throughout the roster – it’s a pretty powerful squad in my eyes.”
Renegades will be Lyon’s third team in the Big Bash League, having started with Adelaide Strikers before finding home in the pink of Sydney Sixers. With BBL seasons often overlapping Australia’s Test commitments, Lyon has only played 38 matches in the competition so far and picked up 44 wickets, and that will again likely be the case in the upcoming season due to series against Pakistan and West Indies
“It’s fantastic to have a player and person of Nathan’s calibre joining the Melbourne Renegades,” James Rosengarten, Melbourne Renegades general manager, said. “Nathan’s success over a sustained period at the highest level of the game speaks for itself, and he will be an incredible asset to our group with his skills and experience.
“Being able to add two world-class spinners in Nathan and Adam to our squad for the next couple of years is a significant step in that process, one which we’re confident will help to set us up for success over the coming seasons.”
Renegades start their BBL13 campaign on December 8 against Lyon’s former side, Sydney Sixers, before taking on Perth Scorchers at home on December 13.
Lyon had his Ashes tour ended by a calf strain sustained at Lord’s, in his 100th consecutive Test, and is aiming to play the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales ahead of the Pakistan series which begins in mid-December.
Renegades squad so far: Nic Maddinson (capt), Aaron Finch, Mackenzie Harvey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Jonathan Wells, Will Sutherland, Adam Zampa