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Ryan Harris’ troublesome knees have finally felled the gutsy paceman forever. On the eve of the first Ashes Test, the 35-year-old has retired from all forms of cricket.
Harris, who was 30 before he played his first Test, was melancholy at his retirement announcement – “I’ve been pretty lucky to have had a wonderful career, and nothing made me prouder than pulling on the baggy green.”
“I have played 27 more Tests than I ever thought I would, and I have relished every moment of them”.
>> MORE: Injuries force Ryan Harris’ immediate retirement
Australia coach Darren Lehmann, who captained Harris when he first started playing grade cricket in Adelaide, added “Ryan gave it his all for his country, and he epitomised everything the baggy green stands for.
“We are certainly proud of everything he has achieved”.
Yorkshire’s Australian coach Jason Gillespie summed up Ryan Harris best by saying, “great bowler, even better bloke”.
That’s bad news for England. Harris will be replaced by a fit NSW expressman Pat Cummins, making selection of the Australian pace attack even more difficult with
the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and Cummins available.
But the final salute is to Ryan Harris for making the painful but correct decision to call it a day.
On the other side of the coin, Robbie Farah’s broken right hand should have already ruled the NSW hooker out of the Origin decider at Suncorp next Wednesday, after undergoing surgery last week to have a plate and pins inserted.
That’s at least a three-week off duty injury, but Farah’s determined to play, which is both selfish and stupid.
There’s never any doubt about Farah being a genuine tough nut, but he’s selfish wanting to play in such a big decider when he’s not fit enough, and stupid because his right hand could well suffer permanent damage, all because of an 80-minute game of football.
Standing by is Sharks’ hooker Michael Ennis, who last played Origin four years ago when he was replaced by Farah.
But of late, Ennis has been the better performer, so make yourself unavailable Robbie Farah and let the Blues get on with full-on preparation for what looms as a cracker at Suncorp.