There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Ryan Harris is a fantastic bowler. On playing ability alone, he deserves his call-up to the Australian squad for the SCG Test starting Tuesday. Harris is strong, zippy, swings the ball, and one time, I believe, he took four wickets with a single delivery.
Unfortunately, his right leg fell off while delivering that magical ball and he had a three month layoff from cricket.
The crazy thing is that Harris’ leg falling off in a match is not far from the truth.
Throughout his career, the main issue for the stocky Queensland quick has been that he can’t stay fit.
I have often thought Harris would have been a more appropriate casting than Samuel L. Jackson for the role of Mr Glass in the film ‘Unbreakable’. Though it is possible he is even more fragile than that character.
That said, Harris’ international career resume contains some impressive numbers.
He has a haul of 35 wickets at 21.37 in Test cricket and 41 wickets at 16.12 in One Day Internationals. But these numbers alone don’t paint the whole picture of Harris’ time in Australian colours. To help paint a better picture, we inevitably need more numbers.
From when he made his ODI debut in January 2009 against South Africa until his last ODI against England, Harris played in just 17 of Australia’s 59 matches. Since that last ODI against England in July 2010 Australia have played 29 matches without the name R.J. Harris on the team sheet.
This includes a trip to the World Cup where a fit Harris could have been a significant contributor to what was eventually a failed campaign.
More worrying given his selection for this Test is that, since making his Test debut against New Zealand in March 2010, Harris has played in just 8 of Australia’s last 19 Test Matches. Knee, ankle, and hamstring injuries have plagued him during that time. Like the old cricket club stalwart who makes a comeback every year only to get injured in his first game back, Harris’ body can’t keep up with what the mind is still capable of.
There is no way that Harris should play in the SCG Test (I would call it the New Year’s Test but that seems a tad inappropriate given that the start date keeps pushing further away from New Year’s Day) ahead of the bowlers who strutted their stuff in a famous Australian victory at the MCG.
Peter Siddle has hit a strong rhythm and appears to be making the ball hit the bat (as opposed to the other way around), Ben Hilfenhaus swung the ball and looked to be quicker than he has been in some time, and James Pattinson has been a revelation with his aggression and perfect hair.
And although off-spinner Nathan Lyon struggled at times in Melbourne, he has had a promising start to his Test career and shouldn’t be dropped on the basis of one sub-par performance. The Australian selectors have only recently managed to slow down their out of control spin bowler merry-go-round and would be cutting off their nose to spite their face if they dropped Lyon by going into Sydney with four quicks.
It is a massive shame that Harris struggles on the injury front.
On talent, he should be a walk-up start for the Test side. But when it boils down to it, Harris is 32 years old and he can’t stay fit. This is a combination of characteristics about as appropriate for elite sport as shyness and a propensity to suck one’s thumb.
Bayman
Guest
While the article may seem slightly facetious to some (though Brendon would love the strike rate which comes from four wickets in one ball) it does contain a great deal of truth - nah, not the bit about his leg falling off. I suspect the trouble with Harris is that in those years in Adelaide he may not have been quite as dedicated as he could have been. He was always very talented but he didn't always work hard. Moving to Queensland had the effect of waking him up to what was required and what his potential and possibilities might be. He did not, however, have the fitness base from years of work as a young player to build on. He basically started from scratch and at his age he was not properly prepared or toned for the workload. Despite a (now) willingness to do what was, and is, required. Consequently, and disappointingly, he reached the top but did not have the fitness base to cement his spot. The numbers, as provided by Lee, are damning - and telling. He struggles to put two games together. Given his history the chances of him surviving the Sydney, Perth and Adelaide Tests, all played withing the next four weeks, are remote. Given that, is it worth persevering any more with Harris. Hard on Harris, I know, but the reality is the fast bowling slots are being filled quicker than Ben Johnson on steroids. That Harris now finds himself in this tenuous position is, frankly, all down to Harris himself. He made it, he had some success but time has moved on and the next generation have arrived. Harris' future, I'd suggest, is pretty limited.
Swampy
Guest
Should we apply this same reasoning to Shane Watson then? Couldn't agree more the argument and when it boils down to it, we cracked a winning formula with the bowling lineup so why on earth would we change it. If I were a selector surely I would only tinker with the batting lineup? Would be good if Australia chose to go with 'no change' for the next couple of matches - be a while since that happened. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.