What advice would you give Steve Harmless?

Question

England fast bowler Steve Harmless is seemingly distraught at being left out of the England side. He wants to have clear the air talks with his captain, to discuss his future at international level.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7917369.stm

Has Harmless been hard done by?

What advice would you give him to win back his place?

Answer 1

There are four invaluable pieces of advice that he could probably do with to help him regain his place in the side:



1) Get a f**king grip and stop mooching around like a miserable bastard.



2) Lay off the pies and stop eating for 6. Try getting back in shape. It can only improve your fitness.



3) Go and learn to bowl properly again and show how serious you are about keeping your place by performing consistently. The captain might show some faith in you then.



4) Stop bitching and crying to the press every time something doesn't go your way.



Hard done by? Ha! How many more chances does he want to waste? Someone needs to tell him that no one cares about him, his boohoos or his cry baby act. He has a job to do and he's not performing it to a good enough standard, so what does he expect if he gets dropped.

Answer 2

Forget the little chat over a meal...knocking Strauss's helmet off in the nets would be a good way to start.



He needs to be allowed to play every match he can for Durham too. Forget resting him, he needs to bowl every week.



When he gets back into the side through form or injury to another bowler then he just needs to bowl flat-out all the time. He doesn't have the absolute control to play as a stock bowler, and pitching it up won't work for him except in early-season English conditions. He needs to bowl back-of-a-length and try to hit the batsman on the gloves or higher.



He should be picked as a horses-for-courses selection, only when the conditions are going to be suitable for hostile fast bowling. Just having him trundle in at 80mph to contain batsmen is a waste of a place in the team...there are dozens of bowlers who will give away fewer runs in that role.

Answer 3

I would seriously advise him to explain why he thinks he should have a future.



While he has the physical ability granted to very few to bowl with such pace and hostility and particularly the steep bounce that can only be generate by men of his height, he simply does not possess the mental strength which needs to go with it. Except on one or two rare occasions, it seems he loses the ability to perform at the highest levels required when the game gets a bit tough against the very best opposition.



In many respects he is the England bowling equivalent of Graeme Hick or Mark Ramprakash, and if he doesn't have that mental fortitude by now it isn't an aspect of his game that is likely to suddenly appear out of nowhere at his age.



I believe England would be better if they concentrated on giving match experience to younger prospects and let them have a chance to prove themselves.

Answer 4

for a start i'd say ignore what ever it is Otis Gibson is telling you, you are not a line and length bowler, you are an old fashioned hare em and scare em fast bowler, just try and get the ball down to the batsman as fast as possible, accuracy will come with rhythm.



Secondly get down the gym when you are not having a net session get your self into peak fitness physically.



Thirdly, go and speak to your wife and kids every night, even if it's just to put your mind at ease that they are ok.

Answer 5

He has been hard done by in as much as an attack that lacks penetration needs somebody who can bring something a little different. Sidebottom and Anderson are too alike and Broad is still developing.



To win back his place he needs more consistency, which comes from rhythm which he won't get if the selectors keep chopping and changing.

Answer 6

i would say steve still has a place in england team but he has to secure that and i think the bowler has to work hard on it. no matter it is o/d or test or otherwise. no wonder he is a great bowler.

Answer 7

Maybe if he learnt to bowl accurately and look less miserable on the field of play he might get picked more often.He is a pathetic wimp.Remember his homesickness problems a few years back

Answer 8

play Domestic cricket

Answer 9

Unless his bowlings improved he should stay where he is.lol, I haven't forgotten that wide he bowled out here!

Answer 10

get some Harm's

he bowls like they are some one Else's.lol

enjoy