Australia missed Lyon in India: Haddin

Former wicketkeeper Brad Haddin says Australia missed the experience and skill of spinner Nathan Lyon during their unsuccessful World T20 campaign in India. 

Lyon was overlooked in the 15-man squad for young spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, while allrounder Glenn Maxwell offered support with his off-spin.

Rookie leg-spinner Zampa was a revelation for the Aussies, claiming five wickets in four matches and bowling with impressive poise to continue the bright start to what looms as a long and distinguished international career.

But Australia's other spin options were used sparingly throughout the tournament; Agar bowled just one over in his only match against New Zealand, which went for 18, while Maxwell sent down eight overs in four matches, taking two wickets and conceding 7.6 runs an over.

Australia suffered defeats to New Zealand and hosts India to be knocked out in the group stage and on wickets the supported spin bowling, Haddin says Lyon was sorely missed.

"I think Nathan Lyon is the best spinner in Australia by a long way and I think come the back end of that tournament he would have made a big difference for Australia," Haddin said at the launch of the MILO Champions Band in Sydney on Monday.

"He started his career playing Twenty20 cricket for South Australia, he did an exceptional job this year for the Sydney Sixers so yes I do think Nathan Lyon should have been there."

The World T20 re-affirmed the effectiveness of spin bowling in the shortest format of the game, especially in the subcontinent.

Five of the six leading wicket-takers for the tournament were spinners - Afghanistan duo Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, NZ pair Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan all claimed 10 or more wickets - while star leg-spinners Samuel Badree and Imran Tahir finished with tournament economy rates of less than 5.5 an over.

Santner and Badree were both named in the ICC's Team of the Tournament and the latest ICC player rankings underlined the importance of spin in T20s, with the top four bowlers - Badree, Tahir, India's Ravi Ashwin and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi - spin bowlers.

Lyon, who was sensationally catapulted from the Big Bash into the Test side in 2011, has played just 11 limited-overs matches for Australia as opposed to 54 Tests.

After a long absence from white-ball cricket, Lyon was given an opportunity in January during Australia's one-day international and T20 games against India.

In a run-heavy series, Lyon was not spared by India's star-studded batting line-up; he took one wicket and conceded 134 runs from 18 overs in two ODIs and was hit for 15 in the only over of his T20I debut at the SCG.

The 28-year-old's return to the international arena came after he impressed with seven wickets in four matches for the Sixers during the BBL, including 5-23 against Hobart in Sydney.

And he will get another opportunity to impress in the coloured clothing in Australia's next international assignment, where he will join Zampa for the ODI tri-series in the West Indies in June against the host nation and South Africa.

"Nathan has bowled very well in the West Indies in the past and we are predicting we will see some slow turning pitches," said National Selector Rod Marsh upon naming the squad.

"Adam has impressed us in India during the World T20 and has bowled consistently well, and with confidence, when given his opportunity."

Despite a sixth WT20 tournament without the ultimate success, Haddin believes Australia has the talent to win the one major international trophy that has eluded them.

The tournament in India was the second time in succession Australia have not qualified for the semi-finals and their appearance in the 2010 final remains the only time they've reached the tournament decider.

Haddin says the five-time 50-over World Cup winners need to learn from their preparation for major one-day tournaments in order to be successful at the next World T20, scheduled to be held in Australia in 2020.

"I think from a Twenty20 point of view, we have as good a (group of) players in that format as anyone in the world," he said. "You only have to see how our players perform domestically and in the IPL.

"I don't think we've quite got our head around tournament play at the moment for Twenty20.

"It's something we've been so good at in the one-day game is making sure we're peaking at the right time for the big events.

"I just think from that point of view we just haven't quite got it right leading into big tournaments, but we've definitely got the talent to do well."

The MILO Champions Band is a new health, fitness and activity tracker to encourage youngsters to get active. The band syncs to the MILO Champions app, available to download via the App Store or Google Play, where parents can check on their child’s activity progress, and in turn help them monitor the balance between energy input and output. Click here for more information.