Brisbane Heat star is in the midst of an IPL stint with Kolkata, but some advice he's picked up from a Proteas legend could help his Baggy Green hopes
Kallis advice aids Lynn's Baggy Green dream
Queensland and Brisbane Heat star Chris Lynn hopes some sage advice he’s picked up during his stint in the Indian Premier League will to help shed his ‘white-ball specialist’ reputation and potentially land him a Baggy Green.
Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Lynn has only been called upon for two matches this season – scoring 10no and 15 – but the Queenslander has been making the most of his time on the subcontinent, working meticulously in the nets alongside Kolkata coach and South Africa legend Jacques Kallis.
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After topping the batting charts in the KFC Big Bash League last summer, scoring 378 runs at 54 with a staggering strike rate of 173, Lynn now hopes he can take his Big Bash form into the four-day format this season.
This summer, Lynn says his priority will be to focus on batting for a long period of time – a topic he has discussed at length with Kallis.
"For me it is about me putting numbers on the board again and I know I’m good enough to do it in all three formats," Lynn told cricket.com.au.
"If I bat for long time I will end up scoring fast and I know Boof [Darren Lehmann] loves guys that can take the game away from the opposition.
"So if I can get that consistency this season then hopefully I will be in recognition for red ball cricket for Australia as well."
Despite playing only 10 Sheffield Shield games over the past two years, Lynn has a strong record against the red ball.
Since his first class debut in 2010, he has amassed 2708 runs at 44.39 in 40 matches and the middle-order batsman is keen to eradicate the tag of a ‘white-ball specialist’.
"The way the T20 is going with viewership, it is more what the public sees.
"The public always relate me to T20 cricket, especially given the success I had in the big Bash last summer.
"People are aware of who I am now, but if I can score big runs in Shield cricket then the perception about me will be different."
Lynn is also using his time in India to improve his game against spin bowling.
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While he thrilled crowds in BBL|05 with his clean striking, Lynn’s statistics against the spinners made for drastically different readying - averaging 20.7 against spin compared to 60 against the pacemen, while his strike-rate also took a dive down to 119, in contrast to 190 against the quicks.
"Jacques has been really good for me this season.
"He grew up in similar conditions to me, the hard bouncy pitches so he has been able to relate to my game and give me advise on playing spin bowling in these conditions.”
Lynn conceded his record against the spinners played a role in missing out on a spot in Australia’s World T20 squad earlier this year.
"Yes, possibly that might be the reason I missed out," Lynn conceded.
"I’ve still got a lot to learn and I’m working hard to conquer spin bowling. It’s a challenge but I’m working on it."
Asked about the advice Kallis has passed on during his IPL stint, Lynn said it was largely about the mental side of the game.
"He gives you the belief that you are not a bad player of spin.
"You don’t have a massive weakness, it’s just that it’s not your strength.
"Jacques said I need to do work on rotating the strike and can get down the other end. Singles are also a way of building your innings and then I can cash in once the fast bowlers are back on again."