Paul Harris is not a test class bowler.
Neither am I.
Whether this makes it easier for me to spot or not is something we can debate another time.
But Paul, definitely not.
He is not a spinner of a cricket ball.
He is a cutter.
Which is fine, if you have other things going for you.
Bounce.
Flight.
Mystery balls.
Anything.
Harris has none.
He simply puts the ball on a goodish length and waits for batsman to make mistakes.
His job is far easier than most spinners in world cricket.
As he has 4 reasonably quality quick bowlers getting wickets before he comes into the attack.
This could explain his not too shabby test average of 32.
Either that or El Nino.
Looking deeper into his record shows that he has only taken 46 wickets in 17 tests, which tells you that he only bowls when the real bowlers (in South Africa this means quick bowlers) are tired or getting no where.
Some people might think I have something against Harris because of his freakish non front arm bowling action.
Not true.
Others may think my problem with him lies in the fact he jumps up like an Alzheimers sufferer playing bingo after every freaking ball.
Also not true.
A few may think his silly faux mo hawk is a defining factor.
Nope.
And the rest may think I don’t like him purely because he is South African.
Probably not true.
Mostly it’s because he is a token spinner.
Not his fault mind you, but he is.
He is there because South African think 3 proper quicks and an aging, ever widening all rounder are enough to get 20 wickets most of the time, but when they need a break lets throw the ball to the one armed gimp.
Pathetic.
Pick your best 4 bowlers South Africa, for once.
1000% agree. SA are much better served going for an out and out pace barrage than that useless git of a bowler Harris is. FFS Smith can do the same thing Harris does. Probably better.
a) he did alright in pakistanb) spinners are an odd bunch anywayc) darren lehmann wasn’t the greatest spinner either but he did alright for himself (same re: m clarke)d) since when did south africa have a frontline spinner?the saffers strength since the early 90s has been built on 10 allrounders and one lightning quick bowler
Cricketanytime, I think Smith and KP are better spinners than Harris. MP, a, are we still rating Pakistan?b, he is a cutter. c, lehmann and clarke had other things going for them, the ability to make the side as batsman, and just bowl the odd overs. d, my point exactly, if you don’t have one good enough, pick another quick.Harris is not an all rounder, he bats at 9 behind Morne.
At least Harris isn’t a chucker, which makes him a better bowler than Smith.Would make a good pub drinking game: SA spinners since readmission.Adams, Symcox…Ekstein (?sp) anyone? He couldn’t spin it either. Neither could Petersen (?sp)Kirsten was probably the pick of them
LB, are their off spinners who don’t chuck now?Symcox and Adams were both their best bowlers. And you forgot Boje.
I knew there was one I’d missed…The BCCI must’ve got to me. He’s been wiped from my memory.Dirty cheating scum that he was.
SA are always accused of their attack being one dimensional…so, he is there for cosmetic purpose of trying to look like a varied attack…he cuts or spin doesn’t matter…
LB, i saw him captaining a county in a pro40 game last week. Maybe the born again Christian schtick worked on them . SP, who cares if it’s one dimensional if it gets wickets.
atleast SA doesn’t seem to mind…
Harris is probably only a place holder until [copy, paste] Thandi Tshabalala is ready anyway.Harris is rubbish, though. He was born in Zimbabwe but he’d probably struggle to get into their side.
Fuck bru (sorry, “mate”, I momentarily forgot that you guys have adopted all the endearing traits of soft-cock englishmen), if this is what you think of him, then you should be over the moon that he’s in there weakening the SA side. He should be in your heroes section.
For all the knocking of SA spinners, I can’t help but notice that Botha and Van der Merwe are currently making hay, with Aussie batsmen and all other comers.
KSA, You are probably right, but I would prefer to see an entertaining spinner (even from South Africa) instead of Harris. Botha is doing well at the moment, even after he was found guilty of chucking.
Roelof is a legend, he bowls spin like an Angry Rugby player, genius. Also Imran Tahir is one of the best spinners in the world, whether he ever plays for South Africa or not.