Harmison ready for renewed Aussie duel

His dislike for travelling tucked away and an emotional Ashes series behind him, Steve Harmison is ready, once again, to take on the Australians, this time in the six-day Super Test due to begin in Sydney from Friday.

Harmison was quoted by www.supercricket.co.za insisting he was looking forward, if picked, to the challenge. "The Ashes was a good series but it's gone now and this is a new challenge. The lads got beaten three-nil in the one-dayers and, although I don't think anyone in a World XI needs to prove themselves, I do think there'll be a bit more pride and professionalism and I do think we'll see a different World XI.

"Australia have been a fantastic team for a long time, and they still are. Some of the criticism we've been reading about them has been unjust - most of it has been, actually. England won a test series two-one and we won the matches by three wickets and three runs. It was a very, very close series and it could have gone either way.

"The only match that was a one-sided game was the first one which Australia won. I'm here to take them on again and, hopefully, win the game like we did in England."

Harmison added that, despite being away from his wife and young family - the source of much of his dislike for travelling - he never had any doubts about participating in the Super Series.

"There was no doubt in my mind once I was picked to play with these guys. I don't like travelling full stop - that's just me and I'll never change, but I haven't had a problem going on tour and I've performed well on most tours I've been on. There's never been a problem and I've come here to perform with, arguably, the eleven best players in the world. So once I got that invitation I was never going to turn it down."

The problem of being 12,000 kilometres and ten hours time difference away from home, Harmison said, had to be managed. "It's the job I've got and there's nothing I can do about it. But having said that, I'm enjoying being with these guys and I'm really looking forward to Friday and, hopefully, a winning game.

"I'm playing with eleven blokes who want to beat Australia. I wouldn't have come if it wasn't going to be serious or was a joke game. I would have stayed in England. I've come here to play and play in a serious game. Hopefully I'll prove that on Friday."