Australian cricket fans are desperate for Nathan Lyon to emulate Shane Warne and it seems the off-spinner has picked up at least one trick from the legendary bowler.

Warne – Australia’s greatest ever wicket-taker, with 708 in 145 Test matches – regularly taunted opponents at the start of the series with news that he’d conjured up a new delivery.

And Lyon has revealed he’s got a special weapon up his sleeve in the upcoming Ashes series in England, with it going by the name of the ‘square Jeff’.

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Jeff, of course, is the delivery Lyon introduced to the world in 2012, which spins away from right-handed batsman the opposite of what his stock off-spin ball would do.

But `square Jeff’ remains a secret – one which Lyon insists has only been revealed to Australian spin coach John Davison, who he’s developed the ball with over the past two years.

“Jeff’s still here. I’ve got a couple of Jeff’s now,” Lyon said.

A familiar sight in the 2013-14 Ashes as Johnson celebrates a wicket. Photo: Getty

“He’s still in the right-hand pocket, that’s for sure.

“I’ve got one in the left-hand pocket now. It’s the square Jeff.

“There’s a couple of differences, you’ll just have to wait and see.”

Lyon was cagey when quizzed by the British press on the specifics of the delivery, not wanting to give too much away as Australia look to win their first Ashes series on British soil since 2001.

“I can’t (explain what it will do) because then (England captain) Alistair Cook will know. I can’t reveal all my secrets.”

Meanwhile, in a statement sure to strike fear among England’s batsmen, Australian paceman Peter Siddle has predicted Mitchell Johnson will outdo his heroics of two years ago.

Johnson famously earned man-of-the-series honours for his extraordinary feats in spearheading Australia’s 5-0 series whitewash in 2013-14.

His fearsome barrage of short-pitched bowling defined the series and delivered 37 wickets at an average of 13.97 as Johnson announced himself as the world’s premier fast bowler.

Incredibly, Siddle feels the English conditions will make him even harder to face.

“I’d probably say he’ll be more (effective),” Siddle said on Tuesday.

“If there’s a bit more swing here, I wouldn’t like to face Mitchell Johnson at 150 and swinging it.

“I faced him the other day and it was swinging around beautifully.

“It’s exciting to know that he’s in a good place, the balls coming out well and you’ve got Mitchell Starc bowling just as quick as him, doing the same thing.

“They’re good little weapons to have at your disposal.”

– AAP