Greg Mathews tips Lyon to become Oz's 'greatest off-spinner' with 400 wickets

Former Australian all-rounder Greg Mathews has tipped Ashes hero Nathan Lyon to become the country's greatest wicket-taking off-spinner, and said that he has the potential to reach 400 wickets by the end of his career.

Lyon, who passed 100 wickets on his way to claiming 5-50 in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test, would come into second spot on the all-time Australian spinners' list, behind only the legendary Shane Warne, who snared a whopping 708 victims during his career, if he reaches the record mentioned by Mathews.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Lyon has delivered with key wickets despite being dropped twice last year and sits 11th on the all-time list of wicket-takers for Australian spinners, although Mathews said that Lyon would easily overtake former off-spinner Hugh Trumble, who sits sixth on the list with 141 wickets.

Mathews said that Lyon would become the greatest off-spinning wicket-taker and statistically the greatest spinner in the history of Australian off-spin bowling, adding that he would be disappointed if he does not get 400 wickets as he still has much growth in him.

Matthews further said Lyon got most of his wickets on the leg side and he would become even more dangerous once he began to threaten batsman on the off side.