Harmison picks up back problem

[Feed]

Steve Harmison is doubtful for England's two-day warm up match against a New Zealand Invitational XI in Dunedin after receiving treatment for a lower back problem. More... Cricinfo staff February 23, 2008 Steve Harmison is no stranger to back problems, but England will be hoping he recovers as he is a major part of their planning for the New Zealand series © Getty Images Steve Harmison is doubtful for England's two-day warm-up match against a New Zealand Invitational XI in Dunedin after receiving treatment for a lower back problem. It doesn't seem as though the issue is causing too much alarm at the moment, but preparation time is short for the Test specialists who arrived in New Zealand last week. There are five days of cricket before the first Test in Napier on March 5 and Harmison would have expected to play both warm-up matches. Harmison has suffered back problems in the past and the long plane journey to New Zealand won't have helped. He suffered similar issues in Sri Lanka before recovering to take his place for the last two Tests. Chris Tremlett, who was part of the one-day squad but didn't play a match, has been added to the Test squad until at least the start of the series. He currently has a slight side strain, but scans have cleared him of any serious damage. Along with Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Strauss, Monty Panesar and Test captain Michael Vaughan are the new faces joining the tour now that the one-dayers are finished. Hoggard and Vaughan, like Harmison, are coming off a break having not played since the Sri Lanka series before Christmas so the two warm-up matches are important for them to find some form. Strauss has been playing for Northern Districts in the New Zealand domestic one-day tournaments and hit a century in his last outing, while Panesar has flown in from India where he was part of the England Lions squad which played in the Duleep Trophy. He didn't collect a huge haul of wickets but at least had time to get some overs under his belt after struggling in Sri Lanka.

[The Outsider]

He should just spend an entire season in county cricket without worrying about his place in the national team. When in rythm, he is one of the best bowlers on the circuit.

[Indus_Army]

He should just spend an entire season in county cricket without worrying about his place in the national team. When in rythm' date= he is one of the best bowlers on the circuit.

I couldn't agree more. I would love to see Harmison again in full tilt. It's a matter of concern though that he sprays the ball around so much since that Brisbane test. I find it bizarre that a world class bowler like Harmison could lose his way so drastically.... On the same note, Maninder Singh apparently lost his action and his career ended prematurely.

[sm332]

they also need to stop molly coddling him ... but I dont expect him to last much longer in Intl cricket .... another highly over rated Pom who had a good 12 months and voila we had our next Ambrose !!

[f.b.m]

Short decription of Steve Harmison after watching him yesterday:

[IndianRenegade]

^:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[Sachinism]

he needs to find a new job

[f.b.m]

Hah, spice from up north. Boycott v Harmy Harmison hits out at Boycott Cricinfo staff March 23, 2008 Steve Harmison, the England fast bowler, has struck back at Geoff Boycott after the former opening batsman had launched a scathing attack at him in a column for Daily Telegraph. Boycott had virtually written off Harmison after his poor display in the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, urging the selectors not to give him a central contract. "Since the Ashes series of 2005 he has been poor, indifferent to bad. He's not got enough wickets and been given so many chances," Boycott wrote in his column. "There comes a point when the public and selectors get fed up and disillusioned with a guy not delivering. That time has come. If he gets a central contract this summer over some of the new kids, or any sort of central contract, then a lot of us will be screaming: favouritism and a total waste of money. England should forget him." Harmison's reply was equally cutting. In his column for Mail on Sunday, Harmison wrote: "No one can dispute the man could bat but over the years he has developed an equally well deserved reputation as someone who thrives on kicking a man when he is down ... Enough is enough. His remarks about me this week have gone beyond what is acceptable and it is time someone stood up to him and told him so. "People who only have a passing interest in the game hear the famous Geoff Boycott Yorkshire accent and may think it gives some status to his opinions. But inside the dressing room he has no status, he is just an accent, some sort of caricature of a professional Yorkshireman." Harmison went on to add that a couple of batsmen currently in the England team didn't have a high opinion of Boycott either. "Their shared experience was that when things weren't going well for them all they heard from Boycott was him nailing them in the newspapers or on radio or TV, then, if they made a century or played well, he would come up to them full of compliments and try to ingratiate himself with them. I'm not the only England player who has been forced to take it in the neck from Boycott and I won't be the last." Harmison also took a dig at Boycott for his comments on Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait's decision to take a break from the game due to exhaustion. Boycott had said Tait's decision had "lacked character". "I wonder what Australia's Shaun Tait thought recently, when, after announcing he was taking an indefinite break from the game due to physical and emotional exhaustion, Boycott reacted by claiming he should have shown more desire to work through his problems," Harmison wrote. "You get the feeling that Boycott is an insecure man who needs to be heard." As a parting shot, Harmison had this to say to Boycott: "You say that if England give me another central contract come October that would be waste of money. To me, you are a waste of space." © Cricinfo *standing ovation*

[Vignesh]

He should just spend an entire season in county cricket without worrying about his place in the national team. When in rythm' date= he is one of the best bowlers on the circuit.

I Agree Too.