CRICKET ASHES SERIES: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 Ashes Test.
The 30-year-old Durham fast bowler caused the tourists considerable discomfort for England Lions this week 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 tactics he used successfully 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.
“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 (Hughes) has a problem with but I’m sure, knowing the Australians, they’ll go away and try and rectify that themselves.”
Stuart Broad will have noticed Harmison’s success with the short ball having ruffled Ramnaresh Sarwan with the same tactics earlier 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 10 wickets in the two-Test series against West Indies earlier this summer, is another seam option if England do not decide to play spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann as a double spin option.
ENGLAND (squad v Australia):Andrew Strauss (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann.
