England may field new paceman

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, MAY 28. Although England has nominated the same 12 players from Lord's - allrounder Craig White is ill, Ed Giddins still replaces Dean Headley and Nick Knight continues to take the place of the injured Michael Vaughan - it is likely to make a change against Zimbabwe when the second Test begins at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

The squad was chosen without a formal meeting after a Test which only served to prove that Zimbabwe, for whatever reason, is not an international-quality team at the moment.

Current thinking among the selectors is that they will use the 6ft 4in Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison in place of the leg spinner Chris Schofield. So both of them can learn a lesson about the English selection process. Harmison has been given a chance but he will recognise from Schofield's experience that he had better come good immediately or he will soon be another one- cap wonder.

Schofield played on a seamer's pitch at Lord's, did not bowl a ball, made nought and spent most of four days either sheltering from the rain, or standing at cover watching the three main quick bowlers mop up pathetic Zimbabwe batsmen. To say Schofield is unlucky underestimates the truth by a wide margin. If the England selectors live up to their history he will never play in a Test again, contract or no contract.

Harmison is, at the moment, no more than another product of over- hype. He is quick, he has been on an A team tour and he has been praised by the Australian No. 3 Justin Langer who calls him ``seriously fast.'' Harmison has hit batsmen, made several jump around and collected regular county wickets: 122 at 30.07 to the end of last season and ten at 20.10 this summer.

He has a high action which makes the ball rear and he may be suited by the Trent Bridge strip, where Larwood and Voce practised bodyline and even now a good pitch for a bowler with aspirations to scare the living daylights out of a batsman.

The most remarkable fact about Harmison, only the second Durham player to get into a side after the left-arm swing bowler Simon Brown - another one-Test-and-you-are-out victim - from Durham the newest county side, is that he comes from football country. He was born and still lives near the coal mining village of Ashington, home to the World Cup heroes Bobby and Jack Charlton. His father was a local soccer star and he is a Newcastle United season ticket holder. ``I just happened to be a better cricketer than a footballer,'' admits Harmison.

Harmison has been targeted as the successor to Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick who will both be over 30 by the end of this season and seems lined up for a contract and a place on the tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the winter.

Incidentally, the contract system will be reviewed by the England and Wales Cricket Board's Management Committee in July. ``It is new and we need to see if we can make improvements,'' says Brian Bolus, the chairman. His main concern is the attitude of the counties who have protested when their players have been rested and the number of players being given contracts.

White has also caused a worry. He was walking down the street near his home in the north-eastern holiday town of Scarborough when he fainted. Without any warning. ``I knew nothing except a pain in my chest and then coming round in the gutter. What would have happened if I had been riding my motor cycle or driving a car?'' he says. ``It was outside a public house which gave some people the wrong idea. Hospital tests have not shown a cause but I am to have a brain scan next week.'' Meantime he has been told to rest.

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