Cricket great brings tour to Parkes

Australian cricketer Nathan Lyon is coming to Parkes where he will share behind-the-scenes insights bridging elite sport and leadership development. In a collaboration with Nathan’s leadership mentor David Stewart, Nathan will bring his ‘Have You Got What It Takes’ Regional Tour, sponsored by Westpac, to the region where he’ll hold a Business Leadership Round Table, Emerging Leadership Summit, Junior Cricket Clinic and Parents, Players and Club Evening Forum. Nathan will hold a Cricket Clinic in Parkes during the afternoon of Thursday 4 June, followed by the Parents, Players and Clubs event that evening. On Friday 5 June, he’ll host Business Leaders Round Table in Parkes, and then an Emerging Leaders Summit. Nathan says “young athletes don’t grow in isolation – they grow with the help of many. Parents, schools, coaches, clubs and local businesses all shape the environment that determines whether talent thrives or fades. It’s a whole of community effort”. Nathan made his Test debut for Australia in 2011 and holds the record for the most Test wickets taken by an Australian off-spin bowler. In 2025, he became the nation’s second highest Test wicket taker of all time and now ranks sixth in the world for Test cricket with more than 560 wickets. He said the idea for the regional tour came from a desire to give back to the game that had given him so much. “Cricket has provided so many great experiences on and off the field, and all around the world, and I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a long career in the game I love. "I’ve learned and grown so much during this time and I’m really keen to share that with the next generation,” Nathan said. “I was lucky enough to grow up in the regional town of Young, and play my first cricket there, so I know how important it is to bring sporting development opportunities to rural and regional locations and appreciate the passion there is for sport in these areas.” He has a passion to mentor in the regions, “the heartland of Australia” he calls it. “The cricket world is so competitive, just like any other professional arena, so aside from the sports skills you need to ascend the career ladder, you also need to develop mental strength, resilience, interpersonal communication and leadership attributes,” Nathan said. “These are the kind of insights I want to share in my events and insights I wished I’d learned earlier. Many of the personal skills and attributes needed to succeed in the cricketing world are the same as those needed to succeed in any professional or sporting career and I feel I have a lot to bring to the table in that respect.” Attendees will have a fun, interactive and informative session whichever event they choose. They walk away with: ● The chance to have asked their questions directly to Nathan and David; ● Strategies to navigate expectations and setbacks that build resilience; ● Advice on supporting kids without applying pressure; ● High performing habits that last a lifetime; ● Frameworks to manage pressure – sport, exams and life; ● A personal leadership action plan; ● Simple ways to get stakeholders “on the same page”; and ● Tools for culture building. The Junior Cricket Clinic is being held in Parkes at Woodward Oval from 3.30pm to 7.30pm. The Parents, Players and Clubs Evening Forum is from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and will be hosted at the Parkes Leagues Club. The Emerging Leaders’ Summit is from 11.30am to 1pm at the Parkes Bowling and Sports Club. The Business Leaders Round Table event in Parkes, on Friday June 5, is from 7.30am to 9.30am and is being held at Parkes Bowling and Sports Club. There will be an opportunity for photos and autographs with Nathan at each of the events. Tickets for Parents, Players and Club in Parkes are available here: https://collections.humanitix.com/nathan-lyon-parent-player-and-club-evening-forums-orange-dubbo-parkes Tickets for the Emerging Leaders’ Summit in Parkes are available here: https://collections.humanitix.com/nathan-lyon-emerging-leader-summits-orange-dubbo-parkes Tickets for the Business Leaders Round Table Public Event in Parkes are available here: https://events.humanitix.com/business-leaders-round-table-parkes To register for the Cricket Clinics, go to the Cricket NSW link at Register | PlayHQ