Quantcast

Aussies must check egos: Lynn

Queensland blaster says calculated risks and fearless cricket is the way forward for the ODI side

Recalled ODI batsman Chris Lynn believes Australia played "reckless cricket" in the recently-concluded T20I series in the UAE, in which they were swept three-nil by Pakistan.

And it is getting away from that recklessness, and replacing it with a fearlessness, that Lynn says will hold the hosts in good stead when the three-match Gillette ODI series against South Africa gets underway in Perth on Sunday.

With Victorian Aaron Finch taking the reins from Tim Paine in Australia's ODI side, the buzzword around the group appears to be "fearless" – it was how paceman Pat Cummins described the new skipper last weekend and it is how Lynn insists the side intends to play.

"We've always tried to play a positive brand of cricket," said Lynn in Perth today. "Throwing the first punch in a one-dayer is always handy, but with that comes risk as well.

"We want to try and minimise the risk; over in the UAE we probably took too many risks, so maybe put our egos aside a little bit and just bat.

"We know the more time you spend in the middle, you're going to cash in. It's pretty simple – we're just going to try and nail the basics. We do that, and I think we go a long way towards winning the series.

"We just played reckless cricket over in the UAE. We want to play fearless cricket, not reckless – and I think there's a massive difference there.

"So for us it's about going out there trying to dominate, and taking calculated risks."

Aussie players name Proteas danger-men

Lynn returned to the JLT One-Day Cup with Queensland in outstanding form last month, and went on to top the run-scorers list, however he was unable to back up that form in the 20-over format in the UAE, returning scores of 20 (against the UAE), 14, 7, 15 (against Pakistan).

The explosive right-hander said he was "disappointed" with those returns, and eager to make amends – regardless of where he’s positioned in the batting order.

"I'm hoping to bounce back as quickly as possible," he said. "I'm happy to bat anywhere in the green and gold. Preferably I'd like to be up the top, but wherever 'JL' (coach Justin Langer) sees fit, I'm happy to play that role."

Given his brevity of red-ball cricket due to his chronic shoulder issue (he hasn't played a first-class match since March 2017), Lynn recently spoke of the white-ball formats as being a potential path for him to make it to Test cricket – much as it has been for David Warner and Aaron Finch. He alluded to the possibility again today, while simultaneously ruling out the possibility of domestic first-class cricket this season.

"I won't be playing any Sheffield Shield this summer," he said. "The body's getting better, and getting through the JLT Cup was massive from a confidence (point of view).

"It's like you've got to walk before you can run, so I'm at that stage at the moment – I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but if I do happen to score runs in these next three games, then obviously I'd put my hand up for Test selection, but I think that's a little bit out of the equation."

And as Australia's one-day focus narrows towards the defence of their World Cup title in England next year, Lynn said it would be a mistake to consider the showpiece event at the expense of the upcoming series with fourth-ranked South Africa.

"We want to win this series and build a nice core group going into that World Cup, but there is so many opportunities for players to score runs (before then)," he added. "If we just focus on the World Cup we're going to miss all these games – this week, next week.

"We need to make sure we nail the process, and not worry about the outcome all the time.

"At the end of the day, if we don't perform over the next couple of weeks, then this team won't be at the World Cup – it'll be a fresh team.

"So we've got to play what's in front of us."

Australia v Proteas, Gillette ODI series, November 2018

First ODI: Perth Stadium, November 4

Second ODI: Adelaide Oval, November 9

Third ODI: Blundstone Arena, Hobart, November 11

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn.