Former England fast bowler and Ashes winner Steve Harmison gave his thoughts on the series against the Proteas and the state of the England squad this week
Broad and Anderson have stepped up after Archer, Wood and Stone have been out with injuries
“I would love to play in the current system. England could be a seriously talented side for a long time to come if you add one of the injured fast bowlers, Archer, Wood and Stone. That's nothing against Broad and Anderson, who haven't peaked this summer after England trying their hardest to get rid of them for two or three years, if they hadn't been here this summer then England would be in a really dire situation from a bowling point of view. England have needed their two greatest to stand up because everybody else was on the treatment table.
“I would have loved to have played in this team, it's no secret that I'm somebody that would risk losing to try and win than be in a position where we try and nick a win by making sure we don't lose a game - I never enjoyed that. Myself and Paul Collingwood had a couple of disagreements about how the game was played, not just with England but also at Durham, going at 2.5 an over and a ring field, it was never me. I wasn't bothered if I was getting his for six or four, I just wanted to get a wicket and that was my job, I was a fast bowler that had to make something happen. There was no right or wrong way of playing the game, it was just an outlook that Paul had. It depends on who you have in your team to bowl, Micahel Vaughn was always trying to win the game, but he had four fast bowlers at the peak of their powers at his disposal.”
Zak Crawley is being carried by England despite his poor form
“I would keep Crawley in the squad until the end of summer. The team can protect and carry him while they are winning. England feel as though he is the opening batsman that they want and I believe that's the right call. I think he's the batsman if this team is going to continue to play on the front foot and win the Test from the very first moment of the match, Crawley will be huge in the development of this side, so England have to be prepared to give him longer and give him a chance.
“Crawley deserves time because his numbers aren't what they should be, but Crawley is somebody that gives England the best chance to play their attacking way. I'd give him more time than pushing him to the side. He's got more competition now than he did 18 months ago with Burns, Sibley and Duckett scoring runs, so now England have options and Crawley has to stand up. England need someone that can put the opposition opening bowlers on the back foot and Crawley is as good as we've got, but it gets harder to stand up for him if the numbers keep deteriorating.”
Ben Foakes wouldn’t have been my first choice keeper back in May
“Ben Foakes wouldn't be my first-choice wicket-keeper at the start of summer, I wanted Bairstow at the start of summer because I wanted Pope in my team and the only way I saw Pope in my team is if he batted at five and Bairstow had to keep wicket. McCullen has come straight in and Pope has gone in at three, he's stuck with him and given him a chance which is making Pope thrive.
“You have to keep Bairstow in your team because he's a fantastic player, and the only way I saw that happening is if Bairstow went back to wearing the gloves. Foakes is in for the foreseeable future because he's never let England down, he's been great behind the stumps and has got some valuable runs this year and winning games and getting England over the line. He'll be in the team for a while now and good for him.”
Ollie Robinson’s mindset and professionalism is a talking point for selectors
“I'm pleased that Ollie Robinson played for the Lions last week and he looked in good order, he was bowling great lengths and bowled well throughout - there's no question about his ability, just his mindset, professionalism and body. Sometimes he needs a bit of time away to contemplate and reflect, sometimes criticism is a good thing for a player because then he can start working on himself and put things right. I have no doubt that Ollie Robinson will play a lot of times for England because he's a really talented player.
“Jofra Archer and Mark Wood would be the only additions if they were fit, they would completely give this team a whole new dynamic. The pool of fast bowlers in this country is not fit or strong enough, so the ECB need to have a look at their management team and wonder if they're sending the right messages and making sure everyone is doing enough to be in a position to play as much cricket as possible, I'd suggest not at the minute.”
CSA's T20 Franchise League will be threatening to Test Cricket
“I think South Africa has got to get off to a good start at the top of the order. They're not a team where scoring quickly puts a huge amount of pressure on Elgar not only as captain, but his ability to absorb the game and score runs, England can knock over Elgar early in three Test matches. I think South Africa will struggle if both teams have got tails. Jack leach Coming at number eight. Marco Jansen is going to come in at number seven I would think in this team. And it'll be interesting to see who keeps wicket, whether Ryan Rickelton will, he’s done well for Northampton. I don't think he will play. I think he'd be the batsman that just misses out.
“So I think it's important that both teams get started. But the key factor for me in this series from a South African point of view is if you can get Rabada fit for three test matches, because I think this might be the end of the end of South African Test match cricket, as we know it, because once that franchise starts, the finances go into the franchise league that they're gonna build, then all of a sudden, the rand is worth a few quid and they will prioritise the franchise cricket over Test matches.”
England are now in a better position to win the Ashes
“England are 100 per cent in a better position to win the Ashes now than they were a year ago. Covid relaxing here and the ability to get out and have a normal everyday life between playing can really help with positivity and negativity when it comes to winning or losing. The freedom that Brendan has built around this Red Bull team is a great environment to be in, it's nice when you win and even if they do lose then it will still be a freeing place, which is when you play your best cricket.
“Australia will always be a hard test, but England need to have their fast bowlers fit by next year. The current side have a chance to beat Australia, but they will have a great chance of winning over here if they have one of Archer, Wood or Stone fit. At the minute, I think it's 50-50.”
Quotas become an issue when Rabada’s selection is questionable
“Rabada and Nortje are two fantastic bowlers. Quick bowlers, something that even England haven’t got. Do South Africa play Harmer? It's always hard picking this African side because there's a political element to it. No Temba Bavuma , which is a big loss for South Africa and if Kagiso Rabada doesn't play then you’re in trouble because he's obviously a black player so they have to balance that out.
“This is South African cricket, and sometimes it raises eyebrows on that team selection basis.
Rabada is a huge player for South Africa and I think they need him fit for all three Test matches and then you can balance the side. I don't see them playing two spinners at Lord’s. Even though I think they could use the slope from a spinner's point of view and Keshav Maharaj and Harmer. But I can see them picking plenty of spinners at Old Trafford and at the Oval in the other two games that bring Simon Harmer into play I think they'll play Maharaj at the Lord's over Aiden Markram which is interesting because Harmer’s got nearly 30 wickets in these last two First Class matches. He's got 350 wickets in five years for Essex, and he's got this experience of English cricket, whether he’s the international batsman, I'm not sure, but he has this sort of figure of somebody who has done very, very well in First Class cricket in England.”
Virat Kohli is so important to cricket but he needs to take a break
“I think Kohli needs a break and I think he'll get one sometime soon. You can never write off great players, they will always come back. I've played against Brian Lara many times during my career and often he might not look like scoring a run, and then he got 400! Great players always come good and I have no doubt Kohli will find his best form again. He might need an extended break where he has two or three months away from the game to spend some time with his young family and then come back to the game with a spring in his step.
“Kohli is so important to cricket because of his fantastic attitude to Test cricket, the game needs Kohli at this moment in time no matter his form. I want him to play for as long as possible because he's a great of the game and sends the right message. He can step the line every now and again but that's passion and we can never drive that out of the game. Kohli may need a break but he will come good again and score runs, maybe in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Jasprit Bumrah: Injuries and pace bowling comes hand in hand
“The nature of fast bowling means that you can get injured - just look at Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, who know that they could be one injury from their careers being over. Jasprit Bumrah is not in the same age bracket as Anderson and Broad, but neither was Simon Jones when he got injured and never played again. Fast bowling is very difficult and demanding on the body. The hardest part of having an injury is returning after it because you're so susceptible to it occurring again afterwards when you start going through the gears and bowling again, anything can go wrong.
The hardest part for Jasprit Bumrah will be coming back. There are going to be nine very happy teams if Jasprit Bumrah is out of the World Cup, but all cricket fans will want the best players in the world playing - it will be a huge loss for the tournament if he's not there.
Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone have found it difficult coming back after injuries, it's why I question some of England's medical team who might have never bowled a fast ball in their life and are trying to wrap players in cotton wool but you might have to harden them up getting them out and bowling.
Players are prioritising Test matches over the Hundred after packed calendar
“I think the players are pulling out of The Hundred because they want to play in Test matches, which is why Bairstow and Stokes have pulled out. There's no secret that the players and the ECB could get on better. The ECB could say to the players that they pay a lot of money for them to play in England, they sort a calendar and then the players go to the IPL - so the ECB may say they can't whinge if they fit in different games - there has to be give and take from both sides. Trent Boult is the first player along with Ben Stokes to put their allegiance to a franchise and not a cricket board in white ball - Stokes has retired from one-day cricket as a protest to the amount of cricket that has been fit into the calendar. You're an individual and you only have so much time to make money. I don't have a problem with players if you leave and earn lots of money for the benefit of yourself because you want to spend more time with your family and it's the right thing to do, but don't come back. If you want to go down the franchise route, off you go and somebody else will play international cricket. The Boards need to make that clear.
You never get introduced by how many T20, one-day or Hundred caps you received, it's all about Test matches, how many times you won the Ashes. Eoin Morgan will be remembered as the World Cup-winning captain but he'd be remembered as the guy that played a few Test matches without it. Nobody remembers a special one-day player, they remember you for the Ashes and I don't think that will ever change so we have to protect first-class cricket.
Both England or Australia would trouble India in T20 World Cup
“I can see England and Australia troubling India at the World Cup. T20s are about somebody producing a moment of brilliance and I don't think India are favourites or playing the best cricket. Jason Roy could get England to the semi-final of the World Cup with just a couple of scores, he is a fantastic player and he can get England there. But Kohli can also do that, if anyone gets 100 from 50 balls they will get their team over the line. You can win all your games to get to the semi-final, but in T20 there is always the chance that someone gets 100 and they'll win. One player can change everything on any day, which is what T20 is all about, and England, Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand have match winners as well as India.
“This World Cup is going to be brilliant because there are so many superstars that can win a game at any point. Team performances will get you to the semi-finals and a big player can stand up and win the games from there, England have a few players that can have a huge influence on the big stage in pressure situations because they've done it before.”
Harmison was speaking to Online Cricket Betting
Broad and Anderson have stepped up after Archer, Wood and Stone have been out with injuries
“I would love to play in the current system. England could be a seriously talented side for a long time to come if you add one of the injured fast bowlers, Archer, Wood and Stone. That's nothing against Broad and Anderson, who haven't peaked this summer after England trying their hardest to get rid of them for two or three years, if they hadn't been here this summer then England would be in a really dire situation from a bowling point of view. England have needed their two greatest to stand up because everybody else was on the treatment table.
“I would have loved to have played in this team, it's no secret that I'm somebody that would risk losing to try and win than be in a position where we try and nick a win by making sure we don't lose a game - I never enjoyed that. Myself and Paul Collingwood had a couple of disagreements about how the game was played, not just with England but also at Durham, going at 2.5 an over and a ring field, it was never me. I wasn't bothered if I was getting his for six or four, I just wanted to get a wicket and that was my job, I was a fast bowler that had to make something happen. There was no right or wrong way of playing the game, it was just an outlook that Paul had. It depends on who you have in your team to bowl, Micahel Vaughn was always trying to win the game, but he had four fast bowlers at the peak of their powers at his disposal.”
Zak Crawley is being carried by England despite his poor form
“I would keep Crawley in the squad until the end of summer. The team can protect and carry him while they are winning. England feel as though he is the opening batsman that they want and I believe that's the right call. I think he's the batsman if this team is going to continue to play on the front foot and win the Test from the very first moment of the match, Crawley will be huge in the development of this side, so England have to be prepared to give him longer and give him a chance.
“Crawley deserves time because his numbers aren't what they should be, but Crawley is somebody that gives England the best chance to play their attacking way. I'd give him more time than pushing him to the side. He's got more competition now than he did 18 months ago with Burns, Sibley and Duckett scoring runs, so now England have options and Crawley has to stand up. England need someone that can put the opposition opening bowlers on the back foot and Crawley is as good as we've got, but it gets harder to stand up for him if the numbers keep deteriorating.”
Ben Foakes wouldn’t have been my first choice keeper back in May
“Ben Foakes wouldn't be my first-choice wicket-keeper at the start of summer, I wanted Bairstow at the start of summer because I wanted Pope in my team and the only way I saw Pope in my team is if he batted at five and Bairstow had to keep wicket. McCullen has come straight in and Pope has gone in at three, he's stuck with him and given him a chance which is making Pope thrive.
“You have to keep Bairstow in your team because he's a fantastic player, and the only way I saw that happening is if Bairstow went back to wearing the gloves. Foakes is in for the foreseeable future because he's never let England down, he's been great behind the stumps and has got some valuable runs this year and winning games and getting England over the line. He'll be in the team for a while now and good for him.”
Ollie Robinson’s mindset and professionalism is a talking point for selectors
“I'm pleased that Ollie Robinson played for the Lions last week and he looked in good order, he was bowling great lengths and bowled well throughout - there's no question about his ability, just his mindset, professionalism and body. Sometimes he needs a bit of time away to contemplate and reflect, sometimes criticism is a good thing for a player because then he can start working on himself and put things right. I have no doubt that Ollie Robinson will play a lot of times for England because he's a really talented player.
“Jofra Archer and Mark Wood would be the only additions if they were fit, they would completely give this team a whole new dynamic. The pool of fast bowlers in this country is not fit or strong enough, so the ECB need to have a look at their management team and wonder if they're sending the right messages and making sure everyone is doing enough to be in a position to play as much cricket as possible, I'd suggest not at the minute.”
CSA's T20 Franchise League will be threatening to Test Cricket
“I think South Africa has got to get off to a good start at the top of the order. They're not a team where scoring quickly puts a huge amount of pressure on Elgar not only as captain, but his ability to absorb the game and score runs, England can knock over Elgar early in three Test matches. I think South Africa will struggle if both teams have got tails. Jack leach Coming at number eight. Marco Jansen is going to come in at number seven I would think in this team. And it'll be interesting to see who keeps wicket, whether Ryan Rickelton will, he’s done well for Northampton. I don't think he will play. I think he'd be the batsman that just misses out.
“So I think it's important that both teams get started. But the key factor for me in this series from a South African point of view is if you can get Rabada fit for three test matches, because I think this might be the end of the end of South African Test match cricket, as we know it, because once that franchise starts, the finances go into the franchise league that they're gonna build, then all of a sudden, the rand is worth a few quid and they will prioritise the franchise cricket over Test matches.”
England are now in a better position to win the Ashes
“England are 100 per cent in a better position to win the Ashes now than they were a year ago. Covid relaxing here and the ability to get out and have a normal everyday life between playing can really help with positivity and negativity when it comes to winning or losing. The freedom that Brendan has built around this Red Bull team is a great environment to be in, it's nice when you win and even if they do lose then it will still be a freeing place, which is when you play your best cricket.
“Australia will always be a hard test, but England need to have their fast bowlers fit by next year. The current side have a chance to beat Australia, but they will have a great chance of winning over here if they have one of Archer, Wood or Stone fit. At the minute, I think it's 50-50.”
Quotas become an issue when Rabada’s selection is questionable
“Rabada and Nortje are two fantastic bowlers. Quick bowlers, something that even England haven’t got. Do South Africa play Harmer? It's always hard picking this African side because there's a political element to it. No Temba Bavuma , which is a big loss for South Africa and if Kagiso Rabada doesn't play then you’re in trouble because he's obviously a black player so they have to balance that out.
“This is South African cricket, and sometimes it raises eyebrows on that team selection basis.
Rabada is a huge player for South Africa and I think they need him fit for all three Test matches and then you can balance the side. I don't see them playing two spinners at Lord’s. Even though I think they could use the slope from a spinner's point of view and Keshav Maharaj and Harmer. But I can see them picking plenty of spinners at Old Trafford and at the Oval in the other two games that bring Simon Harmer into play I think they'll play Maharaj at the Lord's over Aiden Markram which is interesting because Harmer’s got nearly 30 wickets in these last two First Class matches. He's got 350 wickets in five years for Essex, and he's got this experience of English cricket, whether he’s the international batsman, I'm not sure, but he has this sort of figure of somebody who has done very, very well in First Class cricket in England.”
Virat Kohli is so important to cricket but he needs to take a break
“I think Kohli needs a break and I think he'll get one sometime soon. You can never write off great players, they will always come back. I've played against Brian Lara many times during my career and often he might not look like scoring a run, and then he got 400! Great players always come good and I have no doubt Kohli will find his best form again. He might need an extended break where he has two or three months away from the game to spend some time with his young family and then come back to the game with a spring in his step.
“Kohli is so important to cricket because of his fantastic attitude to Test cricket, the game needs Kohli at this moment in time no matter his form. I want him to play for as long as possible because he's a great of the game and sends the right message. He can step the line every now and again but that's passion and we can never drive that out of the game. Kohli may need a break but he will come good again and score runs, maybe in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Jasprit Bumrah: Injuries and pace bowling comes hand in hand
“The nature of fast bowling means that you can get injured - just look at Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, who know that they could be one injury from their careers being over. Jasprit Bumrah is not in the same age bracket as Anderson and Broad, but neither was Simon Jones when he got injured and never played again. Fast bowling is very difficult and demanding on the body. The hardest part of having an injury is returning after it because you're so susceptible to it occurring again afterwards when you start going through the gears and bowling again, anything can go wrong.
The hardest part for Jasprit Bumrah will be coming back. There are going to be nine very happy teams if Jasprit Bumrah is out of the World Cup, but all cricket fans will want the best players in the world playing - it will be a huge loss for the tournament if he's not there.
Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone have found it difficult coming back after injuries, it's why I question some of England's medical team who might have never bowled a fast ball in their life and are trying to wrap players in cotton wool but you might have to harden them up getting them out and bowling.
Players are prioritising Test matches over the Hundred after packed calendar
“I think the players are pulling out of The Hundred because they want to play in Test matches, which is why Bairstow and Stokes have pulled out. There's no secret that the players and the ECB could get on better. The ECB could say to the players that they pay a lot of money for them to play in England, they sort a calendar and then the players go to the IPL - so the ECB may say they can't whinge if they fit in different games - there has to be give and take from both sides. Trent Boult is the first player along with Ben Stokes to put their allegiance to a franchise and not a cricket board in white ball - Stokes has retired from one-day cricket as a protest to the amount of cricket that has been fit into the calendar. You're an individual and you only have so much time to make money. I don't have a problem with players if you leave and earn lots of money for the benefit of yourself because you want to spend more time with your family and it's the right thing to do, but don't come back. If you want to go down the franchise route, off you go and somebody else will play international cricket. The Boards need to make that clear.
You never get introduced by how many T20, one-day or Hundred caps you received, it's all about Test matches, how many times you won the Ashes. Eoin Morgan will be remembered as the World Cup-winning captain but he'd be remembered as the guy that played a few Test matches without it. Nobody remembers a special one-day player, they remember you for the Ashes and I don't think that will ever change so we have to protect first-class cricket.
Both England or Australia would trouble India in T20 World Cup
“I can see England and Australia troubling India at the World Cup. T20s are about somebody producing a moment of brilliance and I don't think India are favourites or playing the best cricket. Jason Roy could get England to the semi-final of the World Cup with just a couple of scores, he is a fantastic player and he can get England there. But Kohli can also do that, if anyone gets 100 from 50 balls they will get their team over the line. You can win all your games to get to the semi-final, but in T20 there is always the chance that someone gets 100 and they'll win. One player can change everything on any day, which is what T20 is all about, and England, Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand have match winners as well as India.
“This World Cup is going to be brilliant because there are so many superstars that can win a game at any point. Team performances will get you to the semi-finals and a big player can stand up and win the games from there, England have a few players that can have a huge influence on the big stage in pressure situations because they've done it before.”
Harmison was speaking to Online Cricket Betting ahead of the Investec Test Series against South Africa