Harmison finished?

[Mermaidman]

I am only asking this because Mike Atherton and Bob Willis seemed to have been fed up with his attitude and workrate and the fact he does not bowl as fast these days. Athers went as far as to say that Harmy has took England for a ride and that we need to move on.

I think he is on borrowed time IMO he is so frustrating to watch at times he has the ability in the world pace, bounce and nip off the seem but he does not try 100% most of the time.

The ECB have gone constantly gone back to him cap-in-hand and he is still not performing regularly.

 

[King Pietersen]

I thought he bowled ok at the ARG, and everytime they've had the camera on the nets he's been in there bowling. He only looked down on pace at the ARG because he was suffering from sickness. He proved last season in county cricket that he's still got it, he was consistently bowling genuinely fast and getting Harmison bounce. I think it's just a matter of him not travelling well, he never seems to perform away from England anymore, he should definitely be considered for the Ashes though, if he goes back to Durham and gets some overs and pace under his belt anyway.

 

[barmyarmy]

Not many alternatives around. That said I wouldn't be dead-set against us playing two spinners in the final test - Swann and Rashid/Panesar.

 

[King Pietersen]

Yeh, that's another problem, I don't think we've got a world class 3rd seamer waiting in the wings, other than Simon Jones, who's unfit. I wouldn't be against using 2 spinners if we had Fred in the side, but on a result wicket I don't think we can risk dropping a batsman to fit 5 bowlers into the side.

 

[Leggie]

Wasn't he over the hill from that series against the Windies at home in 2007? He was dreadful to say the least then and hasn't really impressed since.

 

[barmyarmy]

He was already on a downward spiral by the time Australia came here in 2005. Never scaled the heights of 2004 again.

 

[Will_NA]

He had a dreadful tour of SA. Got only 6 wickets in all I think. He wasn't that great against Australia but at least he was bowling quickly. After that, he completely lost his line and since 2008, the best he's been able to do is sacrifice his pace to bowl the ball in a half-decent area which is totally ineffective.

 

[aussie1st]

He was already on a downward spiral by the time Australia came here in 2005. Never scaled the heights of 2004 again.

Geez if he was on a downward spiral then I hate to see him at full throttle. He was a real handful for us during that tour.

 

[irottev]

Can you drop a guy based on bowling on DEAD pitches. Seems harsh.

 

[leftarmlegspin]

Possibly time for England to ignore Harmison. Simply not a reliable performer anymore.

Think Hoggard has been unfortunate not to have been considered again. Seems a waste of Test experience.

 

[barmyarmy]

Geez if he was on a downward spiral then I hate to see him at full throttle. He was a real handful for us during that tour.

Think 7/12 against the Windies. Unplayable.

 

[King Pietersen]

Harmison'll regain his form in the period of County Cricket in the lead-up to The Ashes. Look at his stats from last year:

FC: 14 Matches, 65 wickets at an average of 22, at 3.14 runs per over and a strike rate of 43.5.

List A: 18 Matches, 34 wickets at an average of 18.38 at 4.71 runs per over with a strike rate of 23.4.

Those are fantastic numbers, and if he bowls like that and gets his confidence back at Durham like he did this past summer, then Harmison will perform for the Ashes. Think it's time for him to be dropped from Foreign Tours though, he may be a Home Bowler, may just be something mental. In England there aren't many bowlers better, and unless England get Jones back, or give Mark Davies a go, I wouldn't object seeing Harmison lining up come Cardiff.

 

[Skater]

He'll turn into another Trescothick. Only play well at home.

 

[barmyarmy]

Well that would be a start at least.