Former local and current Australian test cricketer Nathan Lyon has ended his role as the longest serving song-master for the Australian squad when he handed over the baton to fellow teammate Alex Carey.
Lyon held the honourable role leading the Australian team song for 13 years and confirmed he would be passing the baton on the next generation just days out of the second test against the West Indies.
According to Lyon it was time for someone else to take on the role.
"It is the end of an era," Lyon told cricket.com.au.
"I've officially handed over the team song duties to my good mate.
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"I feel like Alex is the perfect candidate and I kind of feel I've run my race with it.
"It's time for someone else to put their touch on it."
Following Mike Hussey's step away from the international stage in 2013 the role was handed over to Lyon who only had 18 tests under his belt at the time.
He said he would have passed the duty to Carey following the World Test Championship final if the team won, however, that didn't happen.
Nathan said that though he had stepped down from song-master, it does not mean he's hanging his gear up yet.
"I've been thinking about it for a while now," Lyon said.
"It definitely doesn't mean I am retiring.
"There's no talk about me retiring, or even thoughts coming in my head.
"I've been very honoured to lead the song and to have done it for 13 years has been one of the biggest highlights of my career.
"It's more about the team environment and making sure I get the opportunity to pass it onto someone who I love and absolutely love the way he goes about things, on and off the field."
Lyon said he had notified Carey of his decision during the first test against the West Indies.
"I went up to his room the second night," Lyon said.
"I wrote him a little handwritten letter...and spoke to him about the reasons why I've come to the decision.
"He was pretty taken aback by it, but it was a pretty cool little moment."
