Harmison compares England attack to Ashes greats

Steve Harmison has identified Steven Finn and Ben Stokes as key figures for England ahead of the World Cup and next summer's Ashes. Harmison described his former Durham team-mate Stokes as "phenomenal" and said that he could be part of an England attack to surpass the famous five who helped win back the Ashes in 2005.

Finn only returned to international cricket in August after a year out of the side due to problems with his run-up but he will be the senior bowler on England's seven-ODI tour of Sri Lanka, in the absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Stokes will also attempt to settle on a role in the one-day side and Harmison likened his raw ability to that of his old England mate Andrew Flintoff.

Harmison and Flintoff, along with Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Ashley Giles, helped England to their first Test series victory over Australia since 1987. Next summer will mark ten years since that triumph but Harmison suggested Anderson, Broad, Finn, Stokes and Moeen Ali could go on to even greater things.

"Finn for me is the key to England's success in the next nine months," Harmison said. "If he's fit, firing and bowling well, England have got a good chance of taking wickets in that middle-over period at the World Cup.

"I believe, if they're all bowling well, Anderson, Broad, Finn and Stokes, with Moeen, I think that's as good as 2005, I really do. I think Finn is the key, because somebody that can bowl over 90mph and make the ball bounce on any given surface and be aggressive, that makes the job easier for the rest of them.

"I see a lot of similarities in that group with what we had, and I think they could be better, because other than Jimmy they've got youth on their side as well. They can get better, where we peaked for the best part of 18 months."

Stokes came into the Durham side as Harmison's career was drawing towards a close and immediately made an impression, prompting a call to Flintoff. He did the same with England on an otherwise dispiriting Ashes tour last year, scoring a maiden Test hundred at Perth to go with 15 wickets in the series, but struggled to have the same impact during the summer, having suffered a self-inflicted broken wrist in the Caribbean.

He has since learned to better manage his emotions but faces competition from the likes of Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan for a place in England's World Cup XI.

"Ben Stokes can be as good as he wants to be," Harmison said. "He needs to be used in the right manner, personally I would take a bit of pressure off his bowling and put more onus on his batting. I'd bat him at six and Moeen at eight.

"Stokes is a phenomenal cricketer. You never compare him with the allrounders who've gone before, people I've been close to. I remember speaking to that certain allrounder when Ben was 15-16, a cheeky little sod coming into the dressing room, and I phoned him up and said 'I've just seen you come in here'. He goes out to bowl with odd socks on, he just picks a bat up and goes out and bats.

"He's one of the best young players I've ever seen. It's hard to put all that on one man's shoulders but if he's batting at six and bowling well for England, they'll have a very, very good team."

Harmison's positivity comes as England attempt to rebuild in all three formats and amid widespread pessimism about their World Cup chances. Alastair Cook has come in for sustained criticism in his position as one-day captain but Harmison, a former team-mate of Cook's, felt that a return to form may not be far off.

"I think he will thrive on the challenge that lies ahead. I think he's better when his back is against the wall, he's always better when the tougher situation comes. If we're coming against the best in the world, I think Alastair Cook will rise to the top. That's what he's done, that's why he's England captain. He likes the challenge. His batting won't be suited to the subcontinent. On the other hand, if he gets runs in Sri Lanka, it will give him massive confidence going to Australia, a place where I imagine he would thrive."