Last time spinner Nathan Lyon toured Zimbabwe, he won a match for Australia A with a towering six and reckons he almost caused an international incident.
“I think Bobby Mugabe was under attack,” recalls Lyon, of the blow he struck off the second last ball of a game against South Africa A.
With no video footage available, we need to take the Test No.11’s word for it that the walls of the presidential palace, which neighbours the Harare Sports Club, were under threat.
“It’s not on TV record, but you can ask a few of the guys – Mitch Starc was here, so were Mitch Marsh and Phil Hughes – ask them about it,” says Lyon.
“Second last ball of the game, three runs to win, it went the journey.
“It was probably about a 100-metre hit.
“Everyone was talking about how far Mitch (Johnson) hit his (into the commentary box window on Monday), but I hit mine 30 metres more.”
Three years on and Lyon has returned to Harare with a different purpose.
Not since 2012 has Australia’s premier spinner played ODI cricket and Lyon is eager to make up for lost time and nail down a spot ahead of the home World Cup next February.
Lyon has long wanted to be recognised with selection in all three formats, and he’s come armed with big-match experience and a new arsenal of deliveries fine-tuned by Sri Lankan spin great Muttiah Muralitharan.
The 25-year-old got off to a steady start against Zimbabwe claiming two scalps in the first ODI, but Lyon says there’s more to his limited overs return than met the eye.
“I saw on Twitter that no-one really recognised what happened the other day … a few variations that people didn’t pick up on,” said Lyon.
“I just need to worry about my own game and just really enjoy some of the things I’ve been working on with John Davison and Murali.
“I was pretty nervous, it was a long drought two years.
“My challenge now is to keep my role.
“The big thing about one-day cricket is it happens a lot faster than Test cricket and I have to work out batters a lot quicker.”