November 27, 2024 • 10 mins
Catching up with former England cricketer Steven Harmison ahead of the first test between England and New Zealand. We talk about his memories of playing in NZ and also his thoughts on the upcoming series.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Whether it's gun boots or rugby boots. The Country Sport
Breakfast has you covered on Gold Sport, your home of
live commentary.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Well, we're talking international cricket now on the show where
the three Tests series between the Black Caps and England
gets underway this Thursday out of Hagley Oval in christ Church.
Joining us on the show this morning, a man's plaid
sixty three Tests for England. There's now out on the
touring side, but on the Talk Sport touring commentary team
this time Steve Harmison. Steve, it's been a long journey
(00:30):
out here, but welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, it's been a long one. Yeah, really enjoyable one
to get here. And what I'm looking forward to these
three Test matchs Brian. I think it's going to be
a cracking series after what happened with India in New
Zealand and India and England. Well started well in Pakistan
and then was faulted with the last two. But I
think it's going to be a cracking series. So we
look forward to it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And no doubt you've spent your time while you've been
here sitting back chilling in the christ Church Hotel room
watching Australia playing India.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It's been quite enjoyable, but very enjoyable as a trip over.
So no, it's been Yeah, we've we've had a you know,
we're in a nice little hotel just across from the
Hagley Oval, not by the park. There's a couple of
pubs at the top of the street which we frequented
and enjoying at this minute time sat in one right
now watching Australia having a little bit of a struggle
(01:21):
and I think that's music to English in New Zealand
New Zealand fans ears. But I think, you know, first
and foremost, that is a big series of board in
Gavaskar's trophy. England have got two big series coming up,
India at home and obviously the Ashes when about this
time next year. But I think what happened over the
last what six weeks India and New Zealand and obviously
(01:43):
Pakistan and England, I think it makes this series, you know, a.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Little bit more mouthful it Yeah, absolutely right. As I mentioned,
you've played sixty three taste for New Zealand. You would
have toured here once or twice. How did you enjoy
your time playing out here?
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yeah? I enjoy coming out here, didn't have didn't enjoyed
playing out yectually got dropped after one Test, so it
was it was just having where they get dropped at
Hamut and having I got dropped at So I wasn't
in the best form when I came out here rightly,
so got dropped.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
We did.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
It wasn't a bad thing though, because Brodon Anderson that
was their first Test match playing together properly to take
over and they didn't do too badly over the next
fifteen years. So I can say I got dropped for
the for the right reasons because there was two. There
was two coming in just well a little bit better
than me and I go. So yeah, no, I've always
enjoyed my time coming to New Zealand. I always enjoying
my time playing against New Zealand and whenever playing county
(02:35):
cricket with you know, players that have come from New
Zealand always great, great characters, good men, very humble, really
enjoyed their company and even today been to the ground,
had a good sort of catch up with the former
teammate'am Paul Wiseman, who was you know, he's part of
the coaching staff, was with the White Ferns out and
when the Women's World Cup and Tom Latham who came
(02:58):
through Durham's academy for a year. Wise men, it's always
nice to catch up with people who you you haven't
seen for a while. And I always enjoy talking to
the guys from New Zealand because, like I said before,
you know they have just had an unbelievable moonland of achievement.
As new Man thought my college. There is the victory
in India, but you'd never know looking at them talking
to them because the steer, grounded and humblers as ever
(03:21):
are the.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Pictures reasonally summer in New Zealand. To what your team
to play back in England?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Yeah, I think so, I think so looking at the one,
I'd love the ball on it now, took a picture
of it before and I mean three days out it
looks as green as the outfield and you know, talking
to Matt Henry and one or two other people, you go,
this is a picture film you want to put on
one of these pictures against England because if you can
get the ball to move moves laterally off a picture
or the yeah, you have a chance with the England
(03:47):
team because it comes so hard at it, but I'm
sure by the time thurst of the morning comes that
we over will look a lot different service wise to
what it is now, but it will not be too
dissimilar to what you have in England. New ball will
do a little bit, probably will swing around. This looks
as though as a fast scoring ground, so that will
shoot England because of boundary hitters. But from a surface
(04:09):
point of view, I don't see too much difference to
the pierce of the pictures here in New Zealand to
what we have in England.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Lots of key we influence in the English squad, I
mean coach by Brendan McCallum, keptain by key We born
being Stokes out of christ Church. Actually so is bears
ball still the way forward for the side? Is it
still talked about?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah? I think it is. They don't like the terminology bazzball.
I don't like that, but that's the way the world
talks about it. They're very positive in their outlooking the game,
the way they player, they shot, selections, their decision making.
I think it's cost them in recent times, the last
twelve months, I don't think it's as been as fluid
as what it was the previous twelve months or the
first twelve months that McCullum and Stokes came together. But
(04:50):
I don't think we'll change their way. And then coming
to coming home, especially for Brendan, if you want to
make sure that you know last time, last time it
was Matt Moong and he was flat and uncomfortably went
to Wellington and it was a closer game and then
New Zealand got over the line by a short margin.
That would have been a nice thing if we had
a third Test match. This time we have got three
(05:11):
Test matches and I'm sure McCullum Manstokes will want to
do well in front of their well both their families
because Ben's mum, deb still lives in in in New
Zealand and obviously Ben's brother's still over here as well
full time. So I'm sure you want to put a
show on for the for his friends and his family
who will well, no doubt it would be following Ben England.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Captain and Bean's had a few injury skis over the
past couple of months. Has his health now, I mean,
does he have three tasts on him? Do you think?
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah? I think he does. I think he's got over
most of the stuff. I've seen him at the back end
of the back end of the summer back at Durham
and he looks fairt he looks strong. I think he's
ready to bowl again. It would be interesting to see
England selection they've got as much as it's not a
massive blow because they're losing. Jordan Cox hasn't played a
(06:00):
Test match, hasn't played a Test match for England. But
at the ramifications of not having a like a frontline
wiki keeper in their squad and they're going to have
to go to Olipope, they might then play an extra
bowler in their lineup because of just because of the
numbers that we've got here, and that might suit Ben
Stokes just to ease himself in possibly play in the
first Test match as a backer only, and then by
(06:22):
the time it gets to Wellington and by the time
it gets to the Basin and then up to Hamilton,
he'll have a you know, miles and his legs from
a field point of view, body point of view, and
then that might be when you would probably see Ben
Stokes bowling that little bit more in this series. But
it would not surprise me if England player five front
line bowlers and Ben Stokes might just play as a
batter only and then give him a chance to get
(06:44):
into the series because I think his body's fine. But
three back to back Test matches is always going to
be tough when you've had the few injuries that he's
had in recent times.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I guess for the England side, it was a nice
way to sort of launch the New Zealand two. They
played a sort of a warm up match against New
Zealand ay and Queenstown, so that we're being a nice
way to start the tour, wouldn't it. Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Absolutely, they go this this team, this team is I
think this team have got it perfect, especially the outlook.
I don't I mean scratch me out sometimes their game plans,
but the outlook is right. Young lad, you know, I
enjoy the best time in your life playing cricket. For
eing them is the best time of your life. So
don't sort of pull yourself short by sitting yourself in
(07:24):
a room and let's getting things on top of you
and feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.
This group get out to play golf. Some people found
upon that. I don't think that's a bad thing. I
think that's great for camaraderie and great for the dressing room.
And they've gone down to one of the best places
you'll play golf and that's Queenstown. They've had a two
days cricket. Ben Stoakes has got fifty himself. Joe Root
(07:45):
looks as Zoe. He's in a decent bit of form
and carried on from the summer. I think that ticked
all the boxes. The bowl has got a few miles
in their legs and I think they're ready for getting
up to the Hagley Oval on Thursday morning and let's
see where they're at.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, playing against the New Zealand side coming off that
historic three Nils series weren't over India, so that would
have been talked about in the English team.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, I'm sure it would. We had on talks. We
mentioned with Talk Sport. We had it on Talk Sport too,
We had the whole series. I commentated on the first
Test match and we were we were like, well, at
least of one one, they can't they can't win two,
they can't win three, and even even to even to
our good friends, you know, Dan McCarty who's worked with
us before we Talk Sport, we had him in our
(08:28):
on our Cricket show on after the second Test match
and we were like, what chance he'd given us a
three nil and he's gone zero point one percent? Will
New Zealn win three nil? And and they did. So
you know, we had it closely, we had it covered brilliantly.
And now it just wet the appetite of English fans
because we've had England on and we had New Zealand
against India on and now we've got them both going
(08:48):
head to head and we can't I think English fans
can't work for for Thursday morning and see where this
England teams at because it's the big twelve months fifteen
months for England. Got India at home, you know, after
the border Gavaskar, whatever happens here, England, India come to
England and that's a big series and then the ashes
England go this time next year and I'm going to
be putting in the ashes. So for cricket for the
(09:10):
next twelve months, I think it's I think that's going
to be front and center over the what the IPL
is in franchise cricket and for me, for traditionals, that's
what we all want to see.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
This is a hard question, I HAMI, but who's going
to Who's going to win the series? And why do
you think?
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Do you know what? Probably that I've changed my mind
so many times, And to be honest, I get abused
because i've I mean, mouth is sometimes three seconds cooked
than be bred. Just just really have a drink on board.
It gets to about five seconds when I've had a few.
But I've looked at this series and think England can
win three nil. I can see reasons of New Zealand
(09:47):
winning three nil if they get on top of England's
top order. First, you know, first up put pressure on
Oi Pope, who is now going to have to keep wicket,
all these things that come in. You know, England brought
a sixteen man squad of three of which are spinning.
Two players only got here yesterday Sunday, so they're only
probably going to select from twelveth firs thirteen players on
that first morning. But I still think England from me,
(10:10):
given what happened when New Zealand and India, I am
still back in England to win. I think we'll win
two one if they don't win three.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Now fantastic. I love the patriotism Hey Harmy, enjoy you
stay here and enjoy the Test and we'll talk throughout
the series. Thanks mate, No worries, good bright, Steve Harmison
joining us out of christ Church. Their Test getting underway
on Thursday morning with it looks okay for it, and
then the second Test. It's in Wellington sixth through the
tenth of December, and the third Test could be the
(10:39):
decider fourteenth through eighteenth of December.
Whether it's gun boots or rugby boots. The Country Sport
Breakfast has you covered on Gold Sport, your home of
live commentary.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Well, we're talking international cricket now on the show where
the three Tests series between the Black Caps and England
gets underway this Thursday out of Hagley Oval in christ Church.
Joining us on the show this morning, a man's plaid
sixty three Tests for England. There's now out on the
touring side, but on the Talk Sport touring commentary team
this time Steve Harmison. Steve, it's been a long journey
(00:30):
out here, but welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, it's been a long one. Yeah, really enjoyable one
to get here. And what I'm looking forward to these
three Test matchs Brian. I think it's going to be
a cracking series after what happened with India in New
Zealand and India and England. Well started well in Pakistan
and then was faulted with the last two. But I
think it's going to be a cracking series. So we
look forward to it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And no doubt you've spent your time while you've been
here sitting back chilling in the christ Church Hotel room
watching Australia playing India.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It's been quite enjoyable, but very enjoyable as a trip over.
So no, it's been Yeah, we've we've had a you know,
we're in a nice little hotel just across from the
Hagley Oval, not by the park. There's a couple of
pubs at the top of the street which we frequented
and enjoying at this minute time sat in one right
now watching Australia having a little bit of a struggle
(01:21):
and I think that's music to English in New Zealand
New Zealand fans ears. But I think, you know, first
and foremost, that is a big series of board in
Gavaskar's trophy. England have got two big series coming up,
India at home and obviously the Ashes when about this
time next year. But I think what happened over the
last what six weeks India and New Zealand and obviously
(01:43):
Pakistan and England, I think it makes this series, you know, a.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Little bit more mouthful it Yeah, absolutely right. As I mentioned,
you've played sixty three taste for New Zealand. You would
have toured here once or twice. How did you enjoy
your time playing out here?
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yeah? I enjoy coming out here, didn't have didn't enjoyed
playing out yectually got dropped after one Test, so it
was it was just having where they get dropped at
Hamut and having I got dropped at So I wasn't
in the best form when I came out here rightly,
so got dropped.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
We did.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
It wasn't a bad thing though, because Brodon Anderson that
was their first Test match playing together properly to take
over and they didn't do too badly over the next
fifteen years. So I can say I got dropped for
the for the right reasons because there was two. There
was two coming in just well a little bit better
than me and I go. So yeah, no, I've always
enjoyed my time coming to New Zealand. I always enjoying
my time playing against New Zealand and whenever playing county
(02:35):
cricket with you know, players that have come from New
Zealand always great, great characters, good men, very humble, really
enjoyed their company and even today been to the ground,
had a good sort of catch up with the former
teammate'am Paul Wiseman, who was you know, he's part of
the coaching staff, was with the White Ferns out and
when the Women's World Cup and Tom Latham who came
(02:58):
through Durham's academy for a year. Wise men, it's always
nice to catch up with people who you you haven't
seen for a while. And I always enjoy talking to
the guys from New Zealand because, like I said before,
you know they have just had an unbelievable moonland of achievement.
As new Man thought my college. There is the victory
in India, but you'd never know looking at them talking
to them because the steer, grounded and humblers as ever
(03:21):
are the.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Pictures reasonally summer in New Zealand. To what your team
to play back in England?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Yeah, I think so, I think so looking at the one,
I'd love the ball on it now, took a picture
of it before and I mean three days out it
looks as green as the outfield and you know, talking
to Matt Henry and one or two other people, you go,
this is a picture film you want to put on
one of these pictures against England because if you can
get the ball to move moves laterally off a picture
or the yeah, you have a chance with the England
(03:47):
team because it comes so hard at it, but I'm
sure by the time thurst of the morning comes that
we over will look a lot different service wise to
what it is now, but it will not be too
dissimilar to what you have in England. New ball will
do a little bit, probably will swing around. This looks
as though as a fast scoring ground, so that will
shoot England because of boundary hitters. But from a surface
(04:09):
point of view, I don't see too much difference to
the pierce of the pictures here in New Zealand to
what we have in England.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Lots of key we influence in the English squad, I
mean coach by Brendan McCallum, keptain by key We born
being Stokes out of christ Church. Actually so is bears
ball still the way forward for the side? Is it
still talked about?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah? I think it is. They don't like the terminology bazzball.
I don't like that, but that's the way the world
talks about it. They're very positive in their outlooking the game,
the way they player, they shot, selections, their decision making.
I think it's cost them in recent times, the last
twelve months, I don't think it's as been as fluid
as what it was the previous twelve months or the
first twelve months that McCullum and Stokes came together. But
(04:50):
I don't think we'll change their way. And then coming
to coming home, especially for Brendan, if you want to
make sure that you know last time, last time it
was Matt Moong and he was flat and uncomfortably went
to Wellington and it was a closer game and then
New Zealand got over the line by a short margin.
That would have been a nice thing if we had
a third Test match. This time we have got three
(05:11):
Test matches and I'm sure McCullum Manstokes will want to
do well in front of their well both their families
because Ben's mum, deb still lives in in in New
Zealand and obviously Ben's brother's still over here as well
full time. So I'm sure you want to put a
show on for the for his friends and his family
who will well, no doubt it would be following Ben England.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Captain and Bean's had a few injury skis over the
past couple of months. Has his health now, I mean,
does he have three tasts on him? Do you think?
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah? I think he does. I think he's got over
most of the stuff. I've seen him at the back end
of the back end of the summer back at Durham
and he looks fairt he looks strong. I think he's
ready to bowl again. It would be interesting to see
England selection they've got as much as it's not a
massive blow because they're losing. Jordan Cox hasn't played a
(06:00):
Test match, hasn't played a Test match for England. But
at the ramifications of not having a like a frontline
wiki keeper in their squad and they're going to have
to go to Olipope, they might then play an extra
bowler in their lineup because of just because of the
numbers that we've got here, and that might suit Ben
Stokes just to ease himself in possibly play in the
first Test match as a backer only, and then by
(06:22):
the time it gets to Wellington and by the time
it gets to the Basin and then up to Hamilton,
he'll have a you know, miles and his legs from
a field point of view, body point of view, and
then that might be when you would probably see Ben
Stokes bowling that little bit more in this series. But
it would not surprise me if England player five front
line bowlers and Ben Stokes might just play as a
batter only and then give him a chance to get
(06:44):
into the series because I think his body's fine. But
three back to back Test matches is always going to
be tough when you've had the few injuries that he's
had in recent times.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I guess for the England side, it was a nice
way to sort of launch the New Zealand two. They
played a sort of a warm up match against New
Zealand ay and Queenstown, so that we're being a nice
way to start the tour, wouldn't it. Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Absolutely, they go this this team, this team is I
think this team have got it perfect, especially the outlook.
I don't I mean scratch me out sometimes their game plans,
but the outlook is right. Young lad, you know, I
enjoy the best time in your life playing cricket. For
eing them is the best time of your life. So
don't sort of pull yourself short by sitting yourself in
(07:24):
a room and let's getting things on top of you
and feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.
This group get out to play golf. Some people found
upon that. I don't think that's a bad thing. I
think that's great for camaraderie and great for the dressing room.
And they've gone down to one of the best places
you'll play golf and that's Queenstown. They've had a two
days cricket. Ben Stoakes has got fifty himself. Joe Root
(07:45):
looks as Zoe. He's in a decent bit of form
and carried on from the summer. I think that ticked
all the boxes. The bowl has got a few miles
in their legs and I think they're ready for getting
up to the Hagley Oval on Thursday morning and let's
see where they're at.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, playing against the New Zealand side coming off that
historic three Nils series weren't over India, so that would
have been talked about in the English team.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, I'm sure it would. We had on talks. We
mentioned with Talk Sport. We had it on Talk Sport too,
We had the whole series. I commentated on the first
Test match and we were we were like, well, at
least of one one, they can't they can't win two,
they can't win three, and even even to even to
our good friends, you know, Dan McCarty who's worked with
us before we Talk Sport, we had him in our
(08:28):
on our Cricket show on after the second Test match
and we were like, what chance he'd given us a
three nil and he's gone zero point one percent? Will
New Zealn win three nil? And and they did. So
you know, we had it closely, we had it covered brilliantly.
And now it just wet the appetite of English fans
because we've had England on and we had New Zealand
against India on and now we've got them both going
(08:48):
head to head and we can't I think English fans
can't work for for Thursday morning and see where this
England teams at because it's the big twelve months fifteen
months for England. Got India at home, you know, after
the border Gavaskar, whatever happens here, England, India come to
England and that's a big series and then the ashes
England go this time next year and I'm going to
be putting in the ashes. So for cricket for the
(09:10):
next twelve months, I think it's I think that's going
to be front and center over the what the IPL
is in franchise cricket and for me, for traditionals, that's
what we all want to see.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
This is a hard question, I HAMI, but who's going
to Who's going to win the series? And why do
you think?
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Do you know what? Probably that I've changed my mind
so many times, And to be honest, I get abused
because i've I mean, mouth is sometimes three seconds cooked
than be bred. Just just really have a drink on board.
It gets to about five seconds when I've had a few.
But I've looked at this series and think England can
win three nil. I can see reasons of New Zealand
(09:47):
winning three nil if they get on top of England's
top order. First, you know, first up put pressure on
Oi Pope, who is now going to have to keep wicket,
all these things that come in. You know, England brought
a sixteen man squad of three of which are spinning.
Two players only got here yesterday Sunday, so they're only
probably going to select from twelveth firs thirteen players on
that first morning. But I still think England from me,
(10:10):
given what happened when New Zealand and India, I am
still back in England to win. I think we'll win
two one if they don't win three.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Now fantastic. I love the patriotism Hey Harmy, enjoy you
stay here and enjoy the Test and we'll talk throughout
the series. Thanks mate, No worries, good bright, Steve Harmison
joining us out of christ Church. Their Test getting underway
on Thursday morning with it looks okay for it, and
then the second Test. It's in Wellington sixth through the
tenth of December, and the third Test could be the
(10:39):
decider fourteenth through eighteenth of December.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!