ENGLAND are poised to follow Steve Harmison’s blueprint for success against Australia, despite choosing to overlook him in their squad for next week’s opening npower Ashes Test.
The 30-year-old Durham fast bowler caused the tourists considerable discomfort for England Lions during their drawn match at Worcester, claiming six wickets and reminding Australia of the potent force he was during the 2005 series.
That performance was not enough to persuade the selectors to include him in their 13- man squad for the opening Test in Cardiff, although the short-pitched bowling he used to remove opener Phil Hughes in both innings will be utilised by those who do make the starting line-up.
Instead, they have included Durham team-mate Graham Onions and Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell as the extra players in the squad alongside the line-up who drew at Edgbaston in last week’s practice match, while Harmison will travel to Headingley to face Yorkshire.
‘‘Steve did come into the discussion, but we’ve also got other bowlers who can do that as well,’’ revealed national selector Geoff Miller.
‘‘It wasn’t just a fact that it was Steve who did it, it showed us an area that maybe he has a problem with, but I’m sure knowing the Australians they’ll go away and try and rectify that themselves.
‘‘That’s what Test cricket is all about – analysing your game and moving on.”
Stuart Broad will have noticed Harmison’s success with the short ball, having ruffled Ramnaresh Sarwan with the same tactics this summer, while Andrew Flintoff can also be relied upon to bowl with hostility.
James Anderson’s ability to swing the ball will compliment the pace of the other pair while Onions, who claimed ten wickets in the two-Test series against West Indies, is another seam option if England do not decide to play two spinners in Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann.
‘‘We’ve seen what Steve can do and we know what he’s capable of doing. We just need him to go away and continue to do that because there might be some surface somewhere later on in the series that requires the kind of bowler that Steve Harmison is. He’s quite understanding of that,’’ explained Miller.
‘‘Steve bowled really well at Worcester, but the thinking was that Graham Onions has got possession of the position.
He’s done well and we are consistent with our selection policy so he got the nod.
‘‘It’s not a sprint this series, it is a marathon with five Test matches and I had a chat with Steve yesterday. He understood the situation.”
While Harmison has every reason to be disappointed, Northamptonshire left-arm spinner Panesar has rediscovered his touch at just the right time, having struggled during the early months of the county season.
Panesar has been widely criticised for his lack of variety, not least from Shane Warne, and had claimed only six championship wickets in as many matches prior to grabbing three victims in last week’s warm-up match.
‘‘It’s a strange thing spin because you can bowl well and not get wickets and then from nowhere you can just get a five-for and Monty’s that sort of performer,’’ said Miller.
‘‘He’s an international quality bowler and we know what he’s capable of doing. By his own admission he would say he’s had a problem and has not been bowling as well as he could but gradually it’s started getting better and better.
‘‘His confidence isn’t back to the extent that it was when he was bowling sides out, but it’s not far from it.
‘‘Having had discussions with Monty over the last month or so I could see the gradual improvement. When you talk with someone you can see the improvement in what he’s trying to do and it’s getting better.’’
Test Squad
AJ Strauss (Middlesex, capt) Age 32 Tests 61, AN Cook (Essex) 24 43, RS Bopara (Essex) 24 6, KP Pietersen (Hampshire) 29 52, PD Collingwood (Durham) 33 48, MJ Prior (Sussex, wkt) 27 18, A Flintoff (Lancashire) 31 74, SCJ Broad (Notinghamshire) 23 17, GP Swann (Nottinghamshire) 30 7, JM Anderson (Lancashire) 26 37, MS Panesar (Northamptonshire) 27 38, IR Bell (Warwickshire) 27 46, G Onions (Durham) 26 2.
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