Nathan Lyon comes out in support of Tim Paine

Wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine. Pic/AFP

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon on Thursday asserted that the inclusion of an under-fire Tim Paine in the playing XI for the Ashes series will not be a distraction for the hosts.

Lyon's comments come after former skipper Ricky Ponting said that Paine's inclusion in the team would "inevitably" be a distraction and the drama was "not going to go away."

"I don't see it as a distraction at all. At the end of the day, we are professional athletes, we know what we've got to do and how we've got to go about it," Lyon said.

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