England told: You must play Harmy

Jul 14 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

"My feeling is he should have been playing in that first Test anyway. He’s far better than the bowlers they had there. I understand when he’s not bowling well he can look out of sorts but he’s bowling well, he’s confident and he’s desperate to play. I really hope he gets the chance."

Head selector Geoff Miller has promised to try and play fair by Durham, but will put England first. That means the Riversiders will probably have to play the first couple of days of their Championship game at nearest challengers Nottinghamshire without Harmison.

"We will always try and accommodate counties if we possibly can," Miller said. "But we’ve got to try and look after ourselves. We try to be as fair and honest as we can while trying to win Test matches." Durham can nominate up to two players who can start at Trent Bridge but be replaced by Harmison and/or Onions when they are released by England.

Harmison was called up after Andrew Flintoff felt "soreness" in the right knee he had operated on earlier this year. Harmison’s "bang it in" bowling style is similar to Flintoff’s, although he cannot offer the same batting or fielding ability. Miller has not discounted the possibility of both playing.

"If we look at the square and think it could benefit Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison, we will do that," he said. But if Andrew Flintoff’s not fit to play, we’ll pick 11 who are." Harmison apart, the squad is unchanged from Cardiff.

The last time Harmison bowled against Australia at Lord’s he unsettled many visiting batsmen, drawing blood from Ricky Ponting’s cheek. The captain still bears a faint physical scar and Miller thinks possibly a psychological one too.

"That could be a factor," he said. "If he gets the chance again, game on."