Steve Harmison has received support from both Australia and England to be recalled for the second Ashes Test.
Gillespie and Cook backing quickie to play in the second Test
Steve Harmison has received support from both Australia and England to be recalled for the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
Harmison has been in fine form in the County Championship this season, by taking 42 wickets in nine first-class matches at an average of 19.38 .
And the Durham paceman caught the eye playing for the Lions team against the Aussies, twice removing highly-rated Aussie opener Phil Hughes at Worcester.
Now former Aussie quickie Jason Gillespie and Durham coach Geoff Cook have called on the England selectors to had Harmison another Test chance when they reveal their squad for the second Test on Monday afternoon.
Gillespie told
The Age: "He's peaking at the right time. His recent (Test) record hasn't been brilliant but if he is fit and firing he has to come into contention. I know the Aussie boys respect him as a bowler and Lord's will suit his style of bowling.
Happy
"It's just that unnerving bounce. Even when he does pitch it up, as a batter you're not quite sure whether it's there to drive or press forward to because he's so tall and he gets that bounce. It tends to carry through nicely at Lord's.
"There is no doubt that the Australian camp was reasonably happy that Harmison wasn't included in the squad (for Cardiff).
"They know he can be a big match player and they would have been relieved he wasn't playing."
And having seen Harmison take 5-60 against Yorkshire, Durham coach Cook believes the 30-year-old can take his county form on to the international stage.
"He had to thrash himself to get anything out of the wicket, but he always puts the effort in for Durham," Cook told
The Times.
"He's a tall lad and a world-class bowler, he's got lots of wickets this season at not very many and he's bowling very well."
