Should England recall Steve Harmison?

 

Neil Gardner

After England's thrilling rearguard action to save the first Test in Cardiff, do Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower need to bring in added firepower when the team for the second Test at Lord's is announced on Monday?

With the much-vaunted twin-spin experiment having largely failed there will be repeated calls for the return of Steve Harmison whose pace, bounce and aggression were sadly lacking at the SWALEC Stadium.

The Durham paceman showed plenty of his old fire to dismiss Phillip Hughes and Ricky Ponting whilst playing for England Lions against Australia and has continued that good form in the County Championship, taking 5-60 in a fearsome spell against Yorkshire this week.

But should England gamble on bringing back the player who played such a key role in the Ashes victory in 2005 but came unstuck so spectacularly in the return series Down Under?

With four Australians scoring centuries in Wales, something special will be needed to dismiss them twice at the home of cricket.

Is Steve Harmison the man to do it? Or perhaps Graham Onions, his Durham team-mate, is a better option. Vote in our poll below and let us know your thoughts.

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Comments

[luke]

onions for monty and harmi for broad, leave the batting as it is for the moment

[Malski in Jakarta]

Harmison and Onions in. Cook and Bopara out. Monty and Broad to open the batting. This is test match, we do not need shot making openers we need a straight bat!!

[Henrik]

The main problem for England, same as in the 1980s, is their millionaire's approach to batting. Swann, the number nine, was England's second highest run-scorer in the match and Anderson scored as many runs as his captain and more than Bopara and Cook, the top three in the batting order. At Cardiff there was one bowler too many anyway, so drop Broad and Panesar and bring in Harmison, who at least can make Australia's batsmen uncomfortable, and an in-form batsman of known pedigree such as Mark Ramprakash and the side as whole will be much better balanced for Lord's.

[Keith Askew]

As our only genuine pace bowler currently in good form Harmison should be in the team along with Onions. Drop a spinner and rest Broad. Too much weight on his young shoulders.

[Tom Walshe]

Harmison would have struggled to extract anything from that Cardiff featherbed. And he'd probably have sulked his way into submission after a couple of unproductive spells. The Aussie batsmen applied themselves, while England's top order gave away their wickets. No point in reverting to a has-been to spray the ball around at Lords. Onions deserves a chance, but no thanks Harmy. It's over and out.

[Marc Sherliker]

Given the lacklustre perfomance by Broad,I think Harmy would be a good replacement,he seems to be finding form and rhythm at the right time.Iam also a big fan of Hoggard and would love to see him involved once again.

[Paul]

My overriding concern while chewing over our First Test escape act is not the batting. As has been much vaunted in the media, now is not the time to be shaking that particular facet of the team and blooding new players. Form dictates, Ian Bell aside, that there are not too many people clambering for a spot in the Top 5. I am particularly worried about the ineptitude of our bowling attack in for 2 days in Cardiff. Broad is not a new ball bowler, he is a trier, of that there is no doubt, but has he the consistency and incisiveness that a new ball bowler requires. Flintoff lacks his cutting edge when required to bowl 32 overs in an innings. That onus should fall upon someone like Anderson. Anderson himself needs to find the control he has shown for the last 12 months to keep the pressure on when the ball is not swinging. We need to find a go to man when the pitch is flat, and given his current form and hostility I think its time to call upon Harmison. It seems the main reason we are keeping Broad in the team at present is because he lengthens the batting line up and can bowl useful overs. Perhaps we should be thinking of finding out cutting edge rather than having a solid lower order. Swann can bat. As can Anderson. So pick your best bowlers. On current form they would be Anderson, Swann, Harmison, Onions. Flintoff would pick himself and his bowling would be all the more effective if he was able to bowl shorter spells of a more attacking nature.

[Tom Walshe]

Would Harmison really have extracted any more pace and bounce from the Cardiff featherbed than the other bowlers? 'Mr Dependable' Flintoff struggled to get any life out of the pitch and Johnson lost his pace and rhythm trying to get a response. Don't be too hasty to castigate England's bowlers. The real difference was that the Australian batsmen applied themselves whereas the English top order mostly got themselves out with poor shot selection.

[John]

Harmison is great when he is in the mood. Unfortunately when things do not go well his bowling appears impotent - as England have found to their cost in recent years. Stick to Broad - the lad has real talent.

[Sam]

Stuart broad has given nothing to the side in the first test. And his technique, concerning what he does with his left arm has alreadly been heavily critised. He should be replaced by harmison immedialy who is capable of rising to the pressure of an ashes test and us arguably the better batsman also!!

[Bella]

Move Broad to opener (a challenge he is capable of rising to), Harmison in for Monty (just for Lords probably) and Bell in at no. 3. Drop Cook for now- he needs some county play, amazing as he is, to achieve his potential- and move Bopara to 5. Collingwood 6, Flinty 7, Prior 8, Swann 9, Anderson 10, Harmison 11.

Problem solved.

[Bill]

If he is recalled, Harmison will instantly revert to 'Harmless one' and be flogged around the park by cold eyed aussies who have lived and breathed his brand of pace on much quicker wickets back home.

The problem is, everyone wishes we had a vicious strike bowler, the role GBHarmison filled gloriously for about a year - but no longer does. He will get a few to rear and make Hughes jump about a bit, but he will also throw down plenty of garbage. Onions for me.

[John Lamble]

It is time to drop Pietersen, at least for one match. Then, he might bother to mentally turn-up when he is recalled. His self-indulgence and vanity have reached stratospheric proportions and need some deflation.

[Matt]

One bad test match does not make England a poor team. Of course the test team's results has left a lot to be desired over the past year however, if the England selectors panic and bring in whole sale changes that will send all the wrong messages to the England test team and give a lift to the opposition. Personally I think the obvious change is to bring in Onions for Monty as Lords does not have a reputation for turn. It would be difficult to drop Swan as he has bowled well in the winter and this summer. Additionally the batting tail would be very long if he was dropped instead of Monty.

Furthermore I think that bringing in Harmison would be a tremendous risk for England. It is the same old story with him, he bowls brilliantly for Durham but once he is in the England team against test calibre batsmen who are not intimidated by his pace and bounce he does not seem to have a plan "B". Yes he did bowl well against Australia in a warm up match but an ashes test match at Lords is a completely different type of pressure which quite frankly Harmison has shown over the past year and a half that he cannot stomach.

[GRAHAM TRIMMINGS]

Panesar OUT ! Harmison IN, up and at 'em !!

[Adam]

Harmison was woeful in 2006-07 against the Aussies. He hasn't proven himself under pressure in an international since 2005. He isn't the solution.

[John Freeman]

If he is selected the captain must use him to best effect. He should open the bowling and not be used as first change. Harmison's confidence seems a bit fragile and if the captain is not showing faith in him then he is unlikely to perform at his best. Coming on to bowl after Broad and Anderson have played in the openers will not achieve anything. There is no point in being half-hearted about this either pick him and show you believe in him or leave him out.

[Karl Saunders]

Strauss and the selectors need to make changes. Not only will this keep the Aussies thinking but let the rest of the squad know their there to perform not sucumb to pressure when it counts.
The English openers should have gone out in the 2nd innings with the thoughts of scoring 600, not trying to block out an attack such as Australia.

[Gavrilo Prinzip]

Play him at Lords but cancel his central contract!