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28 July
2008 Harmison
Targets Positive Return Steve Harmison
intends to ignore the criticism surrounding his
recall by England and is confident of making an
impact if he makes his Test comeback at Edgbaston
this week, as reported by Ladbrokes. The selection of
the 29-year-old Durham fast bowler as an antidote
to the England's desperate performance during the
10-wicket defeat to South Africa at Headingley in
the second npower Test has divided
critics. While Nasser
Hussain has welcomed Harmison's return to the
squad, fellow former England captain Michael
Atherton has dubbed the the selection "as
uninspiring as his recent record in international
cricket and his attitude". But Harmison, who
stands 10th on England's all-time list of Test
wicket-takers with 212 victims, has refused to
become involved in the controversy and is instead
focusing on forcing his way into the final line-up
on Wednesday. Bet now at
Ladbrokes "I'm not looking
to prove any points, the selectors made a decision
and everybody is talking about them," said
Harmison, who has claimed 75 wickets in all cricket
this summer. "They made a call months ago to leave
me and Matthew Hoggard out and went six games
without changing the team. They went six games
playing well and at the time it was the right
decision. "Now they made a choice last week and it
didn't work for them, the one in New Zealand did.
I've got a chance now to stake my claim and I'm
looking forward to it." He continued: "I
can only do what I've been doing and if I play this
week or next week it doesn't matter as long as I'm
at that stage where I'm near the top of the ladder
at where I want to be. Now I've got to get in the
team and stay in the team. Vaughany knows what he
can get out of me once everything is going well and
going right, and I feel with overs under my belt
I'm confident of doing that." Since being
dropped in the aftermath of England's surprise
first Test defeat in New Zealand alongside Hoggard,
Harmison's desire to play for England has been
questioned along with his long-term future at
international level. But having
delivered 434 overs in all forms of cricket this
summer Harmison believes he is ready for a return
to the Test arena. "When I left New
Zealand I asked 'what have I got to do to get back
in?' and I think I've answered that question as
well as I possibly could have," Harmison explained.
"I've bowled overs and taken wickets, in fact I
feel as though I've bowled the most overs in the
country and I've taken a lot of wickets so I'm
pleased. I've got continuous cricket under my belt.
I think I've only missed two or three Twenty20
games this year, so I've played every form of the
game for Durham. A lot of people thought you'd
never see me in an England shirt again, but I was
never one of them and that is the thing. If I was
one then I'd have gladly said I couldn't carry on
and pack it in, but no. I asked what I had to do,
I've gone away knuckled down and done it. That is
what I wanted to do because I've always wanted to
play for England. I've missed the atmosphere. It is
great playing for Durham and I love it, but the
buzz of the first morning is a Test match is not
something you get playing at the
Riverside." If he forces his
way into England's line-up at Edgbaston on
Wednesday, the selectors will want a considerable
improvement from his recent Test performances -
particularly his limp display in Hamilton which
Harmison blamed on fitness. "The thing for me
is to be constantly playing and I think in the
eight months after I had my hernia operation (last
year) I only played five or six first-class games,"
he added. "Three or four of them were Test matches
and for me it is hard to go straight into it - I
feel I've got overs under my belt now. Hopefully
I'm a better bowler for having time out of the team
and hopefully I've learnt a few things about my own
body and bowling. I'm looking forward to this week
if I can get a game. I wanted to get back in the
Test team and that is all I want to do. I said I'd
bowl better once I've had a long run up of bowling.
Sometimes you need to take time away from the game
and away from the big stage to get everything back
in a groove and get everything right to actually
come back." Bet now at
Ladbrokes |
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