Should Harmison be dropped from ODI's?

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Ernest

Will those who disagreed on the numeous occasions I have suggested that Test players should be divorced from one day cricket, not reconsider this - please?.

Actually Ern, I still completely disagree with it. As I posted on another thread I believe that if someone is good enough to play both then they should play both - and be rested when rest is required. Why can every other side manage to play their best players in both forms of the game? Shane Warne is an exception but even he played many ODI matches before retiring.

[Rachael]

It's surely worth noting that Harmison's bowling in the first match of this tournment was absolutely exemplary after the first over: he bowled something like 5 overs for 14 runs AND picked up the wicket of Tendulkar! Sure, the guy got off to a bad start... but he actually ended the match with better figures than Anderson (who bowled well).

The two matches so far are no basis for judging Harmison: England were in a hopeless position in each before he bowled his first ball... and that led to pressure to bowl a miracle spell rather than to just do his job (which is not about bowling miracle spells at all: rather like Caddick, he's the guy to nag away in ODIs - which is only an option if the batsmen post big totals.

Look back to the last time England's ODI unit was at full strength (Nat west Series prior to the Ashes) and he did excellently: see http://statserver.cricket.org/db/ARC...D_TOURNEYS/NWS

[Collyisamackem]

Exactly Rach, I believe Harmy is not getting any help at all from the management and the batting lineup. He is and ODI bowler and it's a fallacy that he's not. What helped him average fifteen in that series with the new ball was theat the rest of the team were up for it and gave him support. He can't do it on his own and trying to do that has resulted in these last two games!

Has anybody noticed that Anderson went at 7 an over before the wickets came? Mahmood's economy rate is poor too, although he finally put a decent spell together against Australia. Steve Harmison's form is not the only reason we're losing ODIs, although neither is Anderson's really. The batting and coaching are the problems we need to look at first.

[John]

England should stick with Harmison. He is erratic bowler but than the whole one day side is not very good. To drop him means you will relegate the whole one day game to be irrelevant. How will you be taken seriously by the countries who take the one day game seriously?
There is nobody to replace Harmison.

[darksideofthemoon]

Harmison was talking about retiring from the ODIs after the World Cup. There are other bowlers like Mahmood, Anderson, Jones, Tremlett, Lewis, Plunkett, Broad and Tom Smith who do want to play one day games. I would let him concentrate on Test cricket now. If our batsmen can't even bat out the 50 overs we are never going to win any games or the give our bowlers a chance.

[Mongoose]

I'd have neither Harmison nor Mahmood in the ODI team. They are the sawn-off shotguns of pace bowling, and have less consistency than a soggy blancmange. Lewis should be in there, as he has the most important ingredient for an ODI bowler, accuracy.

[Quagmire]

Harmison 28 years old and already talking about retireing from ODI's shows he has heart and confidence of his ability.

[Vrock]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

Harmison 28 years old and already talking about retireing from ODI's shows he has heart and confidence of his ability.

It's not so much his confidence in his own ability as his confidence in his mental strength. He's a family guy (forgive the pun ) and would rather sacrifice one-day cricket to spend more time with his family than he would test cricket.

Although, to be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if he's been swayed a little because of his personal performances and also of the England side. I'm sure he would be more willing to carry on if he performed better in one-day cricket (I know I would).

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

Harmison 28 years old and already talking about retireing from ODI's shows he has heart and confidence of his ability.

With respect I think he is the brains of the England Test team, he has no intention of burning himself out playing Micky Mouse cricket, he will still be going strong when Flintoff will be playing club cricket - or making after dinner speaches.

[flanflinger]

I like Steve Harmison, but I just feel that his confidence with the ball is being destroyed by the ODI game. I feel he is a ODI bowler, but puts too much pressure on himself. In Tests you can get away with one or two bad overs, you can't in ODI's and Steve is prone to the odd lapse.

I would prefer him to concentrate on Tests for the time being. It is not that I don't care about ODI's, but just because I care more about Steve Harmison being at his very best when he bowls for England.