Ryan Harris retires with immediate effect

[Top_Cat]

I read somewhere that in his late 20s he started taking his fitness more seriously, went on some crazy exercise and diet regime to turn into a beast.

Yeah, pretty much. I mean I know guys like BB are fond of saying he's fat but it was a natural consequence of what he had to do to stay on the park. The cricketing uniform does you no favours if you have hips wider than a 12-year-old boy either.

This is not the guy you want to see running at you whether he's got a cricket or rugby ball in hand.

He's not trim, absolutely, but that's because he worked at getting stronger, hitting the bench not the beach weights to ward off injuries. This means you have to eat more so, yes, you'll carry a bit of fat and it didn't help his knee problems but it sure stopped all the hammie, side and calf twinges he was getting plus put a lot of pace on him and made him potentially a Test weapon as opposed to a longer FC journeyman career.

Aside from this, though, Harris himself said that one night it all just clicked for him. That said, even at grade and juniors level, was always a shade quicker than he looked so he'd always rush you no matter what pace he was operating at.

 

[Flem274*]

I love guys like Harris because they're so self made. "Yeah, I was a medium pacer for years then I decided to become a boss".

 

[Dan]

T_C should write a full tribute article IMO.

 

[thierry henry]

Aside from this, though, Harris himself said that one night it all just clicked for him. That said, even at grade and juniors level, was always a shade quicker than he looked so he'd always rush you no matter what pace he was operating at.

Yeah honestly...I'm not sure how prevalent radars were in the games he played earlier on but I also wondered if he wasn't just quicker than people realised even when he wasn't quick, and maybe the change wasn't as dramatic as we think.

A guy like Harris who is sort of skiddy and sub-6 foot tall can be unfairly typecast as a medium-pacer even when fairly brisk, as a good 'keeper will still be able to stand up to him. I think of a guy like Scott Styris who was the epitome of "military medium" but actually usually bowled in the low-130s circa-2003. His trajectory (and the fact he didn't really swing it) just suited the "middle overs, keeper up" role.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Harris was bowling 133-135ish in that video.

Also, maybe I'm wrong but my memories of Harris when he debuted for Australia in 08/09 are that even then he might've been a yard slower than he eventually became? I recall him being regarded as a bowling all-rounder, operating mainly in the high-130s and the comms being slightly surprised at him being that sharp.

 

[Riggins]

Aside from this, though, Harris himself said that one night it all just clicked for him. That said, even at grade and juniors level, was always a shade quicker than he looked so he'd always rush you no matter what pace he was operating at.

I heard his first spell in grade cricket when he was young was lightning too - it was just that he would bowl quick for 2 or 3 overs and then bowl medium pace the rest of the day. Improving his strength to the point he could bowl fast all the time with a bit less effort was crucial.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah that's in line with what I remember of the bloke. Natural consequence of getting older/stronger would have put some Km on him overall too, of course.

On his operating speed at ODI debut, I swear I remember him stopping the gun in the high 140's? My perception was that he dropped a few Km after a while, presumably to get some seam as, like I said, was never a big mover of the ball.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Yeah that's in line with what I remember of the bloke. Natural consequence of getting older/stronger would have put some Km on him overall too, of course.

On his operating speed at ODI debut, I swear I remember him stopping the gun in the high 140's? My perception was that he dropped a few Km after a while, presumably to get some seam as, like I said, was never a big mover of the ball.

Yeah I remember him and Hilf were both playing, and harris was clocking up some seriously pace, while Hilf was also comfortably sitting in the 140s. It was like "where the **** did they pull these blokes from".

 

[Riggins]

Yeah that's in line with what I remember of the bloke. Natural consequence of getting older/stronger would have put some Km on him overall too, of course.

On his operating speed at ODI debut, I swear I remember him stopping the gun in the high 140's? My perception was that he dropped a few Km after a while, presumably to get some seam as, like I said, was never a big mover of the ball.

Yeah there's no replacement for that old man strength. He carried too many TV's in his life not bowl fast.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Yeah that's in line with what I remember of the bloke. Natural consequence of getting older/stronger would have put some Km on him overall too, of course.

On his operating speed at ODI debut, I swear I remember him stopping the gun in the high 140's? My perception was that he dropped a few Km after a while, presumably to get some seam as, like I said, was never a big mover of the ball.

Yup, my memory too.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah there's no replacement for that old man strength. He carried too many TV's in his life not bowl fast.

Gotta be a Northern subs burglary joke in there.

Unless that's exactly what you meant. In which case....sorry.

 

[Furball]

If his debut ODI series was the summer where Pakistan and the Windies toured then IIRC he had some serious heat in those series, which I think (without checking) is reflected in him taking a ****-ton of wickets.

 

[sledger]

Kind of like an Australian version of Matthew Hoggard I always thought, but not quite as good. All the best to him.

 

[Gob]

Kind of like an Australian version of Matthew Hoggard I always thought, but not quite as good. All the best to him.

probably twice as good

 

[sledger]

Lol in your dreams pal.

 

[Gob]

Lol in your dreams pal.

nah i'm pretty convinced. Ok maybe not twice as good but at least 1.5

 

[sledger]

Lol despite having not even nearly as many test wickets as Hoggard. Sure thing.

 

[Spark]

who let sledger into cricket chat again

 

[sledger]

Dermot Reeve said I should post more. It'd be fun, he said.

 

[Furball]

This is woeful, even by your standards. Lift your game.

 

[sledger]

Hoggard played at the highest level for the best part of a decade. Harris couldn't even hack it for half a decade. Can't believe there is even any debate about this tbh.