Australian spin legend Nathan Lyon has dismissed concerns about England’s potential use of short boundaries during the upcoming Ashes series, saying it would work in both teams’ favor.

The Times in London had earlier reported that the hosts were contemplating bringing the boundary ropes closer to the minimum 59 meters allowed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which would benefit England’s top-order batsmen against Australia’s star-studded bowling lineup.

However, Lyon, who has taken 482 Test wickets and 101 against England, pointed out that Australia’s batsmen would also gain from the shortened boundaries. He expressed his excitement at facing England’s aggressive captain Ben Stokes and the rest of the team’s batsmen and said he has planned accordingly. He is looking forward to challenging himself against the best players and said that this brand of cricket is bringing the crowds back. While he has been hit for six many times, Lyon is not worried or scared by it, seeing it as an opportunity to take wickets.

Under the guidance of New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum as coach and Ben Stokes as captain, England has adopted a more aggressive approach to apply pressure and entertain crowds. This approach has turbo-charged the way they play and has been evident in their recent performances.

Despite losing the 2021-22 Ashes in Australia 4-0, England is looking to turn things around in the upcoming five-Test series, which starts on June 16 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Star seamer Stuart Broad’s claim that the result didn’t count because of strict Covid rules during the tour didn’t sit well with Lyon, who said, “One hundred percent I’m counting that, that was a 4-0 victory to Australia.”