Watching Nathan Lyon grab his maiden fifer against Pakistan was a treat to watch, but an interesting fact about the spinner was caught by the stump mic. Aussie skipper and wicketkeeper Tim Paine could be heard shouting 'Nice, Garry'. As a fan, you would wonder why Lyon, whose full name is Nathan Michael Lyon, is called Garry.
It's quite common for wicketkeepers to cheer up bowlers and fielders from behind the stumps with phrases like 'bowled Warnie', 'Stokesy', 'shabash Cheeku' etc.
During the 2019 Ashes, Tim Paine was also heard shouting 'bowled Gazza', which is a variation of 'Garry'. Lyon loves being called Garry or Gazza and the tradition started during the 2016 series against South Africa where then wicketkeeper Mathew Wade was heard incessantly calling out 'Nice, Garry' and it was picked up by fans.
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In the same year during the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, the MCG crowd was yelling 'Nice Garry' in unison as Lyon picked a wicket off his third delivery.
The off-spinner also sported the phrase 'Nice, Garry' on his shoes during the Big Bash League.
Origin of Garry:
Lyon got the name Garry from his namesake and Australian rules football legend Garry Lyon who is now a broadcaster. Garry Lyon captained Melbourne from 1991-1997.