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Loading ...It seems Steve James is aware that the autobiography was a little heavy on bitterness!
Fletcher’s comments on Harmison and Hoggard are, as ever, pretty accurate, although this will still come across as unnecessary criticism to most, despite his chum’s attempts to remind readers of his coaching skills.
Fletcher attacks Harmison
By Will 2 years ago, mid-April Add your comment below
Watch out, fading fast bowlers the world over. Duncan Fletcher has spoken to his former ghost-writer, Steve James, and has some things to say about Steve Harmison:
“It’s typical Harmy, I’m afraid,” he says, “We’ve seen it over and over again. He could and should be the No 1 one bowler in the world but he can’t seem to be able to put it all together.
“I saw an interview on TV the other day where he was having a go back at some current players who’d criticised him. He said something about not being able to wait to see them from 22 yards. Why does he need things like that to motivate himself? Why can’t he just motivate himself? I think he’ll find it hard to get back in. He’ll need some consistent performances to do so.”
And Matthew Hoggard:
And his fellow omission in New Zealand, Matthew Hoggard? “I was not surprised,” he says, “He always struggled when he was the main strike bowler. His speed has been dropping for a while. I heard someone saying he’d lost his nip but I thought it had gone a while ago.”
And…well, you get the idea. James is full of praise for Fletcher – they are good mates and, from the few occasions I have spoken to him, James comes across as a shrewd assessor of a man’s character. Fletcher’s is the sharpest mind in cricket, he reckons. So have a read.
Tags: duncan-fletcher, matthew-hoggard, steve james, steve-harmison |
3 Responses to “Fletcher attacks Harmison”
April 20th, 2008 at 3.23 pm
April 21st, 2008 at 5.34 am
Surely the question of whether an international bowler has ‘lost his nip’ is a matter of objective fact, not opinion? Either Hoggard’s average (or maximum) pace has measurably declined over the past year and a half, or it hasn’t – and it isn’t hard to find out – at least for media folk.
April 21st, 2008 at 1.03 pm
I am a Fletcher fan up to a point, but the assessment that Harmison “can’t seem to be able to put it all together” hardly requires the sharpest mind in cricket.
If we’re to go on evidence, apart from his game in New Zealand Hoggard hasn’t lost any pace, he rarely had bucket loads to begin with. Its only the recent injuries that have hampered his progress. Fit he remains a must for the England team.
He and Sidebottom offer consistency captains love, who needs 90mph? Clark and McGrath worked fine together for Australia.
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