A wrong call; England are barmy to ignore Harmy - Gough.Byline: PAUL HIRST Paul Hirst (1947-2003) was a British sociologist. He became Professor of Social Theory at Birkbeck, University of London. He studied at the University of Leicester and the University of Sussex before taking up a lectureship at Birkbeck College in 1969. DARREN GOUGH fears Steve Harmison Stephen James Harmison MBE (born 23 October 1978, Ashington, Northumberland) is an England cricketer, and a leading Test match fast bowler. He plays county cricket for Durham. With his height (6'4") he can extract pace and bounce from most pitches. will never play Test cricket
For the women's version of the game, see . Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. again after the England selectors' "ridiculous" decision to omit the fast bowler from the squad to tour South Africa. Harmison was left to ponder his international career on Thursday after being left out of the 16-man party which will begin their four-Test tour later this month. In discussions before the announcement, Harmison reportedly made it clear to the England and Wales Cricket Board  The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. that he was not willing to
tour Australia in 2010/2011.
Gough, who played alongside Harmison in two Tests against the Proteas in 2003, fears England will struggle without the seamer and believes his exclusion signals the end of the 30-year-old's international career. "Steve Harmison's performances with his county and England over the last few years have been up there with the best, so I'm really surprised that he hasn't been picked," said the Yorkshireman. "The South Africans will be pleased to see Harmy out of the line-up. "Apparently the reason he hasn't been picked is because he didn't commit to next year - which I find absolutely ridiculous. "He has been a terrific bowler, and I think that might be the end of Steve Harmison in Test cricket." It has been suggested Harmison does not like touring and his record abroad does not compare favourably with his form on home soil. In the lead-up to the squad being announced, Harmison said he would consider announcing his retirement from international cricket if England did not give assurances he would be more than a "bit-part" player. That stance infuriated in·fu·ri·ate tr.v. in·fu·ri·at·ed, in·fu·ri·at·ing, in·fu·ri·ates To make furious; enrage. adj. Archaic Furious. some and led Andrew Strauss to re-affirm his position that no player is guaranteed a place in his team. Gough refutes any suggestion Harmison is not committed to playing for his country, however. "He's a terrific bowler who gives his all for England," he said. "There's no-one more committed in his heart to England than Steve Harmison." Gough believes Harmison's height would have made him the perfect bowler for the conditions. "You need strong, tall bowlers over there who hit the pitch hard and have the pace to do well," Gough reasons. "(Andrew) Caddick did well there last time (in 1999) because he was a tall bowler - and I think Harmison, even if he wasn't bowling at 95mph, would have had a huge effect over there." Seamers James Anderson, Graham Onions, Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom and Liam Plunkett will compete for a place in Strauss' XI. Gough believes England's pace attack lacks the potency that will be required. "I think without (Andrew) Flintoff we needed a strike bowler. If you look down that line-up, we may have some good bowlers, but we haven't got anyone who can rip through the side - and that's a big worry. Plunkett's more suited to the one-day game; Onions hits the pitch hard - but does he consistently hit that length to trouble the batsman? I'm not sure." TODAY: (15.30 unless stated) Champions Twenty20 League - Group A Hyderabad: Deccan Chargers v Somerset Group C Hyderabad: Cape Cobras v Otago (11.30) TOMORROW: (11.30 unless stated) Champions Twenty20 League - Group B Delhi: New South Wales New South Wales, state (1991 pop. 5,164,549), 309,443 sq mi (801,457 sq km), SE Australia. It is bounded on the E by the Pacific Ocean. Sydney is the capital. The other principal urban centers are Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Lismore, Wollongong, and Broken Hill. v Sussex Group D Delhi: Delhi Daredevils v Wayamba (15.30) CAPTION(S): Steve Harmison celebrates a wicket against Australia for England Lions in the summer |
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