Lyon roars: Quicks could 'end careers'

Nathan Lyon is hopeful Australia's pace attack can "end careers" in the upcoming Magellan Ashes series.

Lyon said the 2013-14 England side that was whitewashed 5-0 were "scared" of Mitchell Johnson and warned the current team should share that fear with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the Australia line-up.

The last England tour saw Jonathan Trott fly home with a stress-related illness after the Brisbane Test, Graeme Swann quit cricket and fly home after the Perth Test, and Kevin Pietersen never to pad up for England again. Wicketkeeper Matt Prior was dropped for the final two Tests while Joe Root was axed for the final Test in Sydney and coach Andy Flower also lost his job.

Asked if he thought Australia could end England careers again, Lyon said: "I hope so. I didn't end any careers. Mitchell Johnson ended them.

"If you ask him he'll say it was quite satisfying if you look at his past, the pressures the English put him under with the Barmy Army and everything.

"I know Root got dropped last time when he was here, so it'd be good to get him dropped again wouldn't it? If we can start by opening up that crack, it's pretty crucial.

"There's a lot of scars for the English guys, especially coming over here, especially when we have two guys bowling 150ks not just one now."

Lyon took particular aim at Prior, who resumed his career after the Ashes to play four more Tests before, by claiming he wanted to fly home before the Perth Test.

"Being part of that squad (in 2013-14) was unbelievable, and it's one of my fondest series," Lyon told the English press corps on Monday. "Seeing Mitchell Johnson scare all the Poms was unbelievable. You could sense the fear.

Image Id: 400875F5BA4844218F34FDD2DF40976C Image Caption: Johnson celebrates the wicket of Prior at the WACA // Getty

"I was at leg slip and I nearly had to push a couple of the guys back towards the stumps.

"It was an unbelievable feeling knowing that they were broken.

"Leading into Perth we knew that they were, we knew Matt Prior wanted to fly home before the game started and he was one of the senior players.

"He was scared. It's four years ago. I think he's alright now."

Prior hit back at the claims he called "absolutely laughable".

"If that was the case and I was scared why didn't I go home then," Prior said. "That's completely ridiculous and all I can do is laugh. It's wholeheartedly untrue. I stayed out there and what hurt me more was that I got dropped for the last two Tests."

Lyon, who enjoys the moniker GOAT for his standing as Australia's greatest off-spinner of all time , said he believed England's batsmen underestimated him.

"Ask Joe Root. He definitely does. It's part of the game being a tiny little off-spinner who bowls at 86ks an hour, not 150. I love being the underdog."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21