The former England batter accused the Australian off-spinner of deliberately putting himself in the firing line injured to potentially get a concussion sub in place.
While the world stood in awe of the courage and bravery shown by Nathan Lyon in batting for the final wicket despite a damaged calf in Ashes 2023, Kevin Pietersen contentiously smelled an effort from the Australian to earn his team a potential concussion substitute by walking out when he was in no position to bat.
Pietersen accused Lyon’s inspiring second-innings move to walk out as a No.11 with a damaged calf, which is set to rule him out of the series, of being a deliberate ploy to put himself in the face of adversity and get hit on the head, which would’ve brought the concussion sub rules into the picture and given Australia a specialist off-spin replacement – Todd Murphy – for the final innings.
“Imagine if he [Lyon] had been hit on the head and got concussion, he’d have got a like-for-like replacement and a world-class spinner [Todd Murphy], based on how he performed in India, it gives food for thought,” Pietersen said while commentating for Sky Sports.
Lyon, however, was left dismayed by the suggestion from the former England middle-order batter and referenced the gutwrenching demise of his ex-teammate Phil Hughes back in 2014 due to concussion during a Sheffield Shield game to insist that thoughts of manipulating the safety laws in place can never cross his mind after experiencing the horrors of the entire Hughes’ death episode.
Speaking to the press after the penultimate day’s play in the Lord’s Test, Lyon bore the pain of recalling the catastrophic passing of Hughes after Pietersen claimed him of trying to use the concussion sub laws to his advantage. ‘
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“Test cricket’s been around a lot longer than I have and injuries are part of the game. I have heard comments that I only went out there to get hit in the head but I’m really against that,” Lyon said.
“I have lost one of my mates due to being hit in the head so I think that’s a really poor conversation being had, if I’m honest with you.”
Lyon maintained his dignity in the matter when Pietersen perhaps lost it and crossed the line completely suggesting that the opposition cricketer would walk out injured to bat with the intention to manoeuvre the concussion rules in place.
