Steve Harmison believes England’s growing band of fast bowlers can stun Australia next winter – but has warned they will need to be ‘peak ready’ if they want to emulate his legendary 2005 attack and win back the Ashes.
Harmison was part of a quartet of quicks – with Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones – who took 75 wickets as England beat Australia 2-1 in arguably the greatest series of all time.
And he says Ben Stokes will need an even larger pack if he is to become only the second England captain to triumph down under since Mike Gatting in 1986-87.
Brydon Carse has been a revelation in his first four Tests, taking 25 wickets – more than Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad ever managed in a single winter. Gus Atkinson, meanwhile, has picked up 48 at 22 in his first year at the highest level, and England are hopeful both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will be fully fit.
Throw in Josh Tongue, Olly Stone, Matthew Potts and even Chris Woakes – who Harmison believes can play an important role in the pink-ball Test at Brisbane – and selection for the Ashes opener at Perth on November 21 looks tricky.
‘It’s a hard one, but if they’re all fit, Carse is penned in,’ Harmison tells Mail Sport. ‘Archer is close to that, which probably leaves Wood and Atkinson fighting for one spot. If I’m Ben Stokes going to Australia with those options, I’m fancying us to win here.’
England can beat Australia with their army of fast bowlers if they are fit, says Steve Harmison
Brydon Carse has been a revelation for the side, taking 25 wickets in his first four Tests
Jimmy Anderson’s retirement was the right thing to do because England need a strong pack of fast bowlers with pace, bounce, and Test experience
But Harmison, who rose to the top of the world rankings during a 63-Test career that produced 226 wickets, says the Bazballers must learn from past mistakes if they are to triumph in Australia.
‘There’s only excitement if England turn up, and that’s the biggest problem we’ve had many times in Australia,’ he says. ‘In my first Ashes series in 2002-03, we seemed to take everybody that had ever bowled in first-class cricket, and then they all got injured.
‘In 2006-07, we didn’t have anywhere near a good enough attack to take 20 wickets against that great Australian side. And in 2013-14, we sent a basketball team. They were never fit.’
That reference is to the giant trio of Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn and Boyd Rankin, who between them played two Tests as England were blown away by Mitchell Johnson. Gallows humour has often been the only option.
‘When we get to Australia, we’ve got to have six, seven, eight fast bowlers who, at any given time, can perform at a good level. They need pace, bounce and some Test match experience under their belt. And that’s why I think the Anderson retirement, as much as it’s hard for Jimmy, was probably the right thing.
‘He and Stuart Broad were champions. They were always fit and set the standard. But now the two greats have gone, we’re seeing there are options out there. You’re almost playing more strike bowlers in one game than we have in 20 years.
‘There are nearly 10 bowlers out there who are challenging. And I’m really intrigued to see what England do with Harry Moor at Derbyshire. He’s only 17, but he’s someone I think will play Test cricket. He’s got a great chance of being fast-tracked.’
England last won the Ashes in 2015 3-2, having taken an unassailable lead in the fourth Test
England need their stars to be fit if they are to win down under for only the second time since 1986-87
Steve Harmison was part of the England teams which regained the Ashes in 2005 and 2009
If England are peak ready like they were in 2005, they can do something special in Australia
Harmison, now 46 and in New Zealand to commentate on England’s victorious Test series for talkSPORT, has been especially impressed by Carse, the South African-born quick who ended up at Durham, Harmison’s own county.
‘I’ve known for four or five years what Brydon Carse can do,’ he says. ‘He gives you ridiculous pace through the air – the same as Brett Lee or Shoaib Akhtar.
‘You’ve got the height and release points of Atkinson, and Archer and Wood can both play in three or four. England have got a lot of bases covered on flat wickets, especially with this different double-lacquered Kookaburra ball, which makes it a lot easier to bowl in the southern hemisphere.’
If everyone stays fit, can the 2025-26 tourists match the class of ’05? ‘Yes, if they win the Ashes away from home. If, in 10 months’ time, they are peak ready, like we were in 2005, England can go to Australia and do something special.’
