Nathan Lyon says Tim Paine is the best captain he’s ever played under.
Lyon, Australia’s greatest-ever off-spinner, has 119 Tests to his name and played for Paine on 23 occasions in the whites.
The 35-year-old rated Paine’s leadership above Michael Clark, Steve Smith and current captain Pat Cummins, while he’s also played a Test under Shane Watson.
“I’m happy to say Painey’s probably the best skipper I’ve played under,” Lyon told Hello Sport Podcast.
“That’s not saying that Michael Clark and Steve Smith and Pat Cumins aren’t great captains, I feel like Painey, he was never the big dog in the team, he was never going to be the best player on the team…
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“So he kind of realized that and he was like, ‘right, okay, nup, I am the captain of this team and this is the way we’re going to go about it’.
“I’m happy to sit here and say he was the best captain I’ve played under.”
Paine is credited with rebuilding the image of Australian cricket – alongside Justin Langer – following the ball-tampering saga in South Africa that wiped out Smith and David Warner.
In 2021 Lyon also sang the praises of Paine’s glovework, labelling him the best in the world behind the stumps.
His comments came after Paine relinquished the captaincy ahead of the 2021/22 Ashes, a series Australia would go on to dominate 4-0.
“The selectors always said they were going to pick the best available XI and in my eyes, Tim Paine is the best keeper in the world,” Lyon said at the time.
“I know I want him.
“This is very selfish from a bowler's point of view, I want the best gloveman behind the stumps. In my eyes that's Tim Paine.
“Every (Test) bowler's relationship with (Paine) is exceptional and Tim Paine is a very lovable guy and a very well-respected guy within the changeroom.
“I think every bowler – I'm pretty sure I'm speaking on behalf of every bowler (in the Test team) –we want the best keeper. As I keep saying, I can't say it any more times, Tim is the best keeper in the world.”
Paine finished his career with 35 Tests before Alex Carey claimed the gloves.