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Ryan Harris is 'as good as any Australia player', says Michael Clarke

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Australia captain Michael Clarke has called Ryan Harris the best bowler he's played with in his career.

Michael Clarke believes Ryan Harris, who has been forced to retire through injury, is "as good as anyone who has played for Australia".

And the current Baggy Greens skipper says Harris would be his first-choice bowling pick of all the players he has played alongside.

Harris has been forced to quit cricket after a scan revealed damage in his right knee which requires a bone graft, an operation which would take at least five months to fully heal.

It is a sad end to the career of a player who might have had a big influence on the forthcoming Investec Ashes series and a cruel blow for Clarke on both a cricketing and a personal level.

"I've said through my career that he is my No 1 pick bowler in any team I've played with," said the Australia captain. "Every time I've asked him to do a job for me, he's done it - I think if I asked him to run through a brick wall for me, he'd have a crack at it.

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"He's given his best for every team he's played for and he loves winning, which is a great trait to have.

"We will miss him but it's really important for us to celebrate what he has done for us. He's played 27 Tests and it feels like it's been 100; I don't remember playing a Test match without him.

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"He's as good as anyone who has played for Australia and I hope everyone celebrates what has been a great career."

The Australia squad now head to Cardiff for their final preparations for the start of the Ashes on Wednesday, having beaten Essex by 196 runs in their second warm-up match against county opposition.

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Clarke was happy enough with performances during the two tour matches and said: "I think we are as well prepared as we can be for the first Test match.

"Individuals have got what they have needed, the build-up now is really exciting for the players.

"We needed these two games. We have had two wins out of two in the UK so far, which is a positive, and that was our main focus, so we can grab this momentum and take it into the first Test match."

Watch every ball of the first Investec Test live on our dedicated channel, Sky Sports Ashes, from 10am on Wednesday.

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