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Spinner Nathan Lyon earns short-form call up

Australian Test spinner Nathan Lyon has broken through into the national one-day and Twenty20 squads, earning a call up for the final games of the summer.

Having made no secret of his desire to play for his country in the shorter forms of the game, Australia’s most successful Test off-spinner will replace Joel Paris in the line up for the final ODIs against India in Canberra and Sydney this week.

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David Warner also returns from paternity leave for the last two ODI games at the expense of in-form batsman Usman Khawaja.

Lyon has also been added to the 17-man T20 squad for the three-game series against India along with veteran paceman Shaun Tait, big-hitter Chris Lynn and uncapped pair Andrew Tye and Travis Head.

It has long been a point of contention that Lyon has been overlooked for the shorter forms of the game throughout most of his career, playing his last ODI in late 2014, and he is now in line to make his international Twenty20 debut.

The 52-Test veteran, affectionately known as the GOAT or Greatest of All Time by his teammates, has been a standout performer for the Sydney Sixers during this season’s Big Bash League, including a match-turning haul of 5-23 against Hobart in December.

He has been named in the T20 squad alongside incumbent spinner Cameron Boyce and allrounder Glenn Maxwell.

“Our choice of Nathan Lyon comes off the back of good form in the BBL and we decided the time is right to have another look at him in the shorter forms of the game,” chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said.

Tait is back in the national set up for the first time in nearly five years after intimidating batsmen during this year’s BBL.

Marsh said Tait, who has regularly hit 145kmh for the Hobart Hurricanes, was included for his “explosive” power and because he was the “quickest bowler going around in Australia at the moment”.

Aaron Finch will captain the squad while Steve Smith and David Warner will only play the first T20 before being rested ahead of the one-day tour of New Zealand.

Khawaja, George Bailey and Mitchell Marsh are notable omissions from the T20 squad.

ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Matthew Wade.

T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, John Hastings, Shaun Marsh, Cameron Boyce, Nathan Lyon, Chris Lynn, Travis Head, Kane Richardson, Andrew Tye, Scott Boland, Shaun Tait

– AAP

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