Malcolm attacks 'too comfortable' Harmison

Devon Malcolm, the former England fast bowler, has criticised Steve Harmison's outlook and believes he should not have an ECB central contract. Malcom attacked Harmison's attitude as being 'too comfortable', saying the fast bowler lacked the necessary drive to play for his country.

"I don't like the way Harmison speaks at certain times. You shouldn't give guys like Harmison a central contract. I'm not speaking out against central contracts per se but there are certain characters that make up a team and there are certain ways to manage them," Malcolm wrote for The Wisden Cricketer's website. "How I'm reading it at the moment, it doesn't matter to Harmison if he doesn't play against West Indies or Australia because he's still got a central contract. At the back of his mind he's an England player."

Malcolm, who took 128 wickets in 40 Tests, was scathing of Harmison's attitude. "As a fast bowler you've got to get out there and show you want to play. It seems as if he's too comfortable. Fast bowlers are not comfortable people," he said. "You've always got to be striving because you know you've got to be a firestarter. You've got to be a force, mentally and physically. You've got to have the confidence to be in the opposing batsman's face.

"Steve just seems a little bit fragile at the moment. The simplest little thing knocks him off line. It seems he still hasn't fully recovered from that first ball he bowled in the last Ashes series. I've never heard Steve say that was a terrible day."

Harmison, 30, was dropped for the Test at the Kensington Oval after two lacklustre performances in the Caribbean series, and question marks were being raised as to whether to can rekindle the required pace and hostility to lead the attack. According to Malcolm, Harmison should never play for England unless he had use of the new ball.

"He should have the confidence to say: 'I want that new ball. As an out-and-out fast bowler that should be my right,'" said Malcolm. "Harmison as second-change. No way! You're hiding him like that. The opposition sees the guy who is meant to be your quickest bowler is not taking the new ball and it's a psychological advantage."