With no plans on slowing down, Nathan Lyon still hopes to feature at next year's Twenty20 World Cup despite being overlooked for Australia's 14-man squad for the looming series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns offered Lyon no reason for his omission but Australian Test cricket's most successful off-spinner remains undeterred ahead of his first appearance of the 2019/20 season.
Lyon was similarly on the outer last year from the national one-day team before emerging as Australia's main spinner at the 2019 World Cup.
"Definitely I want to put my hand up for all games of cricket, especially for Australia," he said on Wednesday.
"Whatever game I play cricket for, I just need to make sure I'm doing my job and if I keep putting my hand up for selection, who knows where that may lead to."
Lyon has no issues with being overlooked.
"He (Hohns) just called me and told me I wasn't in," he said.
"But I had a really good chat to Cracker (Hohns) - I get along really well with him - so if I have any issues with Cracker, I'll just pick up the phone.
"There's no doubt. I have the absolute utmost respect for him so there's no dramas there."
Lyon will make his first appearance since Australia's triumphant Ashes campaign in September when NSW host Tasmania in a Marsh Sheffield Shield match starting at Drummoyne Oval on Friday.
He revealed he needed "superglue like you get from Bunnings" to keep his spinning fingers together during the gruelling English summer but is back feeling physically and mentally refreshed for another assault for state and country.
"Can't wait to get back out there for the Blues," he said.
At 31, Lyon believes he still has plenty to offer and says "who knows" how many more years he will bowl on for.
"I'm still trying to get better each and every day. The day I stop trying to get better is probably the day I need to give up," he said.
"But I believe I'll never conquer the game of cricket.
"I'm still learning and still learning off the likes of Steve Smith and bowling to the likes of him in the nets so I'm pretty lucky to have that everywhere I go so I'm still trying to get better so there's no time limit on me."
Lyon's revelation that he plans to carry on for years to come raise the prospect of him joining the likes of Australian legends Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) in the exclusive 500 Test wickets club.
Only seven men have achieved the feat but, with 363 wickets already, it's not inconceivable that Lyon could join them.
Australian Associated Press
