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| August 30, 2006 | Wednesday | Sha'aban 5, 1427 |
England weigh up Harmison options: First One-day International today
CARDIFF (Wales), Aug 29: England are set to give themselves an additional bowling option for their forthcoming one-day series against Pakistan after Stephen Harmison pulled out with a back problem.
His withdrawal was announced after England's five-wicket Twenty20 defeat by Pakistan in Bristol on Monday – a match in which the Durham spearhead fast bowler didn't play.
Ahead of the start of the five-match series against Pakistan, which begins on Wednesday with a day/night contest in Cardiff, an England statement on Tuesday said: “The England selectors will place a bowler on standby after the first NatWest ODI in Cardiff, provided there are no further injuries to England's seam bowlers.”
An England spokesman clarified the statement to say that were another England quick to be sidelined, a replacement would come into the squad proper straight away.
In Harmison's absence, England gave the new-ball to veteran Darren Gough and novice Stuart Broad in Bristol – a combination they are likely to use again at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens ground.
England's Twenty20 defeat to Pakistan at Bristol, on Monday, means they have yet to win a limited overs match against serious opposition this summer.
Their lone success came against Ireland, in the warm-up to their series against Sri Lanka, but even that included the warning signs of what was to come. Their 5-0 whitewash to Sri Lanka included some of the worst bowling England have produced for a long while.
They now have another five matches against Pakistan, who are even more daunting opposition as Shahid Afridi amply demonstrated in the Twenty20.
However, the brightest spot of the five-wicket defeat in the Twenty20 was the performance from newcomer Broad. His rise into the international ranks has been widely expected throughout the season. It gathered pace while his compatriots were flayed to all parts earlier in the summer as he was taking domestic cricket by storm.
His first taste of the big time could not have started any better as he removed Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan in two balls. “It was superb, it was nice to get my first wicket and to get Younis [Khan] next ball was great,” he said.
After his two for 35 at Bristol he was pushing his claims for a start in the ODIs, but that has now been virtually rubber-stamped by the withdrawal of Harmison.
“The injury to Steve is very sad but he will come back fighting fit,” he said. “The opportunities are there for me and hopefully if I get a chance I can do well and enjoy it.”
Pakistan are likely to field an unchanged team at Cardiff and Shoaib Akhtar, who returned to international action in the Twenty20, has an ominous warning for England.
“Now we have a first-choice side, we are back on track, we have the bowlers back so we should be making our way towards a winning squad,” he said. “The first two one-dayers will set the tune for us. I think we are a great one-day side and it will be a tough series for England.”
Probable teams:
ENGLAND: Marcus Trescothick, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss (captain), Paul Collingwood, Jamie Dalrymple, Michael Yardy, Chris Read, Sajid Mahmood, Stuart Broad, Darren Gough.
PAKISTAN: Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif.—Agencies
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