Harmison is too soft for Ashes return

There has been some talk of whether Stephen Harmison could force his way back into Ashes contention after a fine display of bowling for Durham. England are due to name a 17-man training squad early next week and Harmy, who took five for 44 against Warwickshire in the latest game and was bowling with the aggression and accuracy that he had a few years ago, could be in the frame. He has bowled well all season, in fact.

Yet if the bowling skills are back, he still seems too nice to be a success at the highest level. Harmison managed to land three blows on the head, hand and arm of Tony Frost, Ian Bell and Chris Woakes, two of whom are fine batsmen and can live with it, but Harmison admitted afterwards that he did not like it. "It's the worst thing in the world when you hit somebody," he said. "I really don't like it at all. I s*** myself when I hit Tony Frost. I was upset by that. And the same when I hurt Ian Bell."

Oh pull yourself together Harmy. It's not as if you put them in the hospital. And Frost and Bell made 56 and 79 respectively, they were asking for it. No one wants to see a batsman seriously hurt, but to be upset after rapping an upper-order batter (a helmeted one at that) on the bonce suggests that you didn't intend to do it. In which case, what was the point of bowling the bouncer?

Harmison reminds me of an old Spitting Image sketch in which Frank Bruno kept apologising every time he hit an opponent in the boxing ring: "Ere you go Mike, I brought you some flowers to say sorry."

I want my fast bowlers to enjoy hitting batsmen if that is what the occasion demands. Remember the aggression at the start of the 2005 Ashes, when Langer was hit on the forearm and Ponting's cheek was cut by a bouncer into his helmet? It set the tone and showed that we would not be bullied. I'm not saying I want to see Aussie blood this summer, but I do want our bowlers to be aggressive. I'm sure theirs will be. And frankly, if Ian Bell can't handle a bit of chin music (and he hasn't complained, to be fair) then should he be recalled either?

Instead of Harmison, I'd like to see Graham Onions given a chance to develop his Test career after looking impressive in his first two matches against West Indies. Playing alongside Harmison at Edgbaston, Onions took seven for 38 in the second innings to give Durham victory. It gave him 51 first-class wickets this year, only three shy of his career best for a season, at an average of less than 15.

He is comfortably the best bowler in the country at the moment, although Jimmy Anderson has played only three games and is averaging 13. Harmison, with 31 wickets at 20, is in second place and clearly is bowling well. But unless he can stop feeling guilty for bowling well, I'm not convinced he should be in the Ashes party.

Comments

[Peter McGuinness]

Hold the Onions, thank you Patrick.

We're quite happy with Harmy thanks very much. Unfortunately, everyone else seems to love cricket more than the big fella does. Poor chap.

Perhaps Jeff Thomson could conduct a personal seminar with Harmison since he's in London at present? Every other Aussie has had a turn coaching the Poms at things.

Thommo just loves people holding bats. Treats them like they just stole something from his Nana.