The next ‘Botham II’?

For a nation that’s overtly cautious of keeping its young cricketers away from the senior team...

For a nation that’s overtly cautious of keeping its young cricketers away from the senior team, 17-year-old England all-rounder James Harris might prove to be an exception. He is a cub but his rapid strides mean that he might sneak into the pride of the ‘Three Lions’ soon.

“Have you seen that young lad Harris?” had been the question on the county circuit last season. After 10 wickets from three games made him the highest wicket-taker at the under-19 World Cup, the same question is being asked in Malaysia.

More so after Harris dismissed four Bangladesh batsmen for ducks to complete a fiver yesterday. And with India next in the quarter-final tomorrow, Harris will have a big test on hand as he faces the most formidable batting attack in the tournament. But he shouldn’t be too worried because, unlike many of the Indian batsmen, he isn’t a little-leaguer.

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At 15, he signed a contract for Glamorgan and, at 17, became the youngest cricketer to take 10 wickets in a match in the county championship. Within days, he would’ve got a rare double by becoming the youngest centurion as well but missed out as he was stranded on 87.

According to Harris, the biggest advantage of rubbing shoulders with the seniors are the words of wisdom that casually get passed on. “One learns a lot when playing with professional cricketers,” he says. Listening to Harris and getting to know the clarity of his plan for tomorrow, it is clear that ‘being prepared’ is one lesson he has learnt well.

Plan of action

“The Indians are front foot players so pinning them back is the idea. But at the same time one can’t bowl too short. The right area is just back of length,” he says. One Asian team — Bangladesh — got trapped in this front-back dilemma and now it remains to be seen how the Indians deal with this plan. Actually, the Indians had been stumped by the England pacers in the warm-up game, in which they were reduced to seven for three.

Harris comes across as a thinking cricketer, but the sport was just a leisure activity for him till a few years ago. It was after a casual suggestion from his school friend in Swansea that Harris joined his club, Pontarddulais Comprehensive. His father, who played for British Universitiy, was happy with his son’s choice of sport.

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He might not have any Test cricketer in his family but he does share his pin code with one. Test off-spinner Robert Croft of Glamorgan stays just a few blocks away from his home. “Going with him in his car for nets daily for practice has helped me a lot. There is always something to learn on these drives,” he says.

The under-19 World Cup is all about catching up with future stars during their formative years. Watch out for Harris. It will also help us get some perspective before the hyperbolic English press starts calling him the next Botham or Flintoff II.