Former England bowler says fast-bowling firepower will determine World Cup winners
Tuesday 13 January 2015 08:31, UK
Steve Harmison says pace bowling will play a crucial role in the World Cup on the hard, bouncy surfaces of Australia and New Zealand.
With the tournament a month away and England beginning their final preparations with the first match of a triangular series against Australia in Sydney on Friday, Harmison says England must adopt the right strategy, with the middle overs being particularly key.
“There will be some good seam bowlers on show at the World Cup,” said former England paceman Harmison. “England’s main three – [James] Anderson, [Stuart] Broad, [Steven] Finn – are right up there.
“I just don’t think England have got the runs that others will get on the flat pitches, so they have got to work out quickly in the next few weeks what their gameplan is.
“How are we going to start the innings? How are we going to take wickets in the middle overs? And then how can we minimise the carnage at the end?”
“You’re going to see this World Cup won by the team that can take wickets in the middle overs.”
It is a new-look England, led by Eoin Morgan, who will be tasked with devising that gameplan, after Alastair Cook’s sacking as ODI captain.
Cook averaged just 19.83 on England’s tour of Sri Lanka last month, presiding over a 5-2 series defeat, albeit in more foreign conditions to those England will face in the World Cup.
Morgan gets his chance to lead the side in the tri-series against tournament co-hosts Australia and holders India and Harmison has some advice for his former team-mate.
“You’re going to see this World Cup won by the team that can take wickets in the middle overs,” said Harmison. “If you can take wickets then, you’re slowing the opposition down – creating pressure, bowling dot balls – but you’re also making breakthroughs leading into the final powerplay.
“The teams that can do that are the ones that will be successful because that’s when you’ll see mistakes, especially in the big games, with the big crowds.
“That’s where England have got to take their chances because with the seam bowlers they’ve got, hopefully they can rein teams back in a bit and chase a gettable score or defend smaller targets.”
England have not taken their chances recently – in Sri Lanka they never took more than two wickets in the period between the 10th over and when the batting powerplay was taken.
The return of Anderson and Broad to the side – and on pitches that will offer greater assistance – brings hope but does it also bring greater pressure?
“I don’t think there’s any extra expectation or pressure,” added Harmison. “You’re playing for your national team in a World Cup in front of 30,000-100,000 people – pressure is all part of it.
“It is a batsman’s game, there’s no doubt it’s harder for bowlers now but I’d like to think they’ll take that as a challenge and rise to it.
“The good ones will. So it’s important England’s do the same.”
Watch the first game of the of the tri-series between Australia and England, on Sky Sports 2 from 3am on Friday morning.
