The problem with Ian Harvey

[wagstaff]

From Saturday's Age, David Hookes had this to say about him and his season:

Yeah, well he would have been (dropped). Yet the day before, he was named to go to the World Cup so that was out of our hands. Harvey I've spoken about a lot, and he's read about it, his lack of preparation for batting in the nets just astounds me. And I've discussed with him: "Don't you accept the fact that Tiger Woods and Lleyton Hewitt hit balls before they play?" And he says 'no', he just wants to do his own thing. There's no point in forcing the bloke, but if you want to go to the next level there has to be an understanding that he's played 74 games for Victoria and made four hundreds. And that is not good enough. With his enormous skill, and he is a really skilled player - the West Coast Eagles spoke about him playing for them - I mean he's a highly skilled athlete yet his contribution with the bat and ball to us has been minimal this year. Took some good catches, bowled occasionally well for us, batted occasionally for us to save the situation, but Ian Harvey should be a match-winner for Victoria in two games a year. He should win us two games with the bat. And I can't remember the last time he won a game for Victoria with the bat. So that's where he's at, at the moment. I think he's got a lot of cricketing soul-searching to do. I think he has to stand in front of the mirror, be honest with himself, and say: "OK, where am I at? Am I prepared to change to what the coaching staff want me to do or . . . If I'm not, that therefore means that I'm happy with what I've achieved."

The comments of David Hookes on Ian Harvey are as damning an inditement on a player as you're ever likely to get.

But in a way it doesn't surprise me. Harvey's always come across as a lazy, flighty player who doesn't have what it takes to make it at the top level. He's very lucky to be in the Australian one-day side currently.

 

[bunsen burner]

But shouldn't he be replacing Martyn in the Australian side as a specialist batsman?

 

[Pedro]

Harvey should be playing District cricket. It is laughable that he can get a game with Australia at the moment. In fact I think I saw Shane Bond laughing when he saw Harvey coming in the other night.

 

[Bombers14]

Well I dont know what happened to him.

He is still sort of a good bowler but I dont know what has happened to his batting. He used to be a good slogger. anyway I think that Watson is the alrounder for the team and it was unfortunate that he missed the WC through Injury.

 

[manmountain]

He's played 5 matches at the World Cup for 8 wickets at about 18.5, which is handy, and suggests he does have the ability. However, Hookes' comments suggest he is bloody lazy. His performance probably vindicates the decision to take him, but he's not in our best 12-13.

I think he should be retained for the sake of maintaining the Victorian quota in the side until Warne returns

 

[Darky]

Originally posted by Bombers14
Well I dont know what happened to him.

He is still sort of a good bowler but I dont know what has happened to his batting. He used to be a good slogger. anyway I think that Watson is the alrounder for the team and it was unfortunate that he missed the WC through Injury.

Sloggers aren't consistent though, probably a pattern there which indicates lack of concentration and poor discipline more than a lack of ability. The comments of Hookes seem to back this up.

I can't think of even one conisistent slogger. I don't count Gilchrist as overly consistent - when he makes big scores he goes on with it, but gets out cheaply a lot too - and the West Indian big hitters of the 80s (Richards, Lloyd) were not so much sloggers as they were very correct batsmen who just managed to hit the ball a lot harder than anyone else.

 

[Groucho]

Hookes mentioned Harvey in passing this morning on the 3AW breakfast show and said sarcastically that he "plays for Gloucestershire and Australia". There have been rumours that Harvey may move interstate next season and the way Hookes keeps having a go at him I'd say it's a certainty!

 

[raiderman00]

Hookes is stupid like that. He always seem's to discourage his players. Like Elliott, when he got picked for the Australia A team he said he shouldn't have been picked because he is not good enough to represent Australia.

And why doesn't he think Harvey bats in the nets, maybe because he is a bowler rather than a batsman.

No wonder our players want to move. We can't all be champions like Hookes. I think he forgets that.

GO HOME HOOKS, GO BACK TO S>A

 

[GoEagles]

I was more interested to read that the Eagles were interested in seeing him.

Did he ever play amature league footy?

 

[bunsen burner]

Originally posted by GoEagles
I was more interested to read that the Eagles were interested in seeing him.

Did he ever play amature league footy?

Well that was lucky that didn't grab him. Harvey couldn't run a (afl) game out yet alone run 22 meters to make a run.

 

[harry_hawka]

Originally posted by Pedro
In fact I think I saw Shane Bond laughing when he saw Harvey coming in the other night.

The ball that Bond bowled to dismiss Harvey would've got anyone in World cricket though. It was a gem

Harvey should be joining the company of Slater and co as Aussie players who bypass State cricket and go straight to the district magoos.
His problem is, in the words a great cameraman: "He can't bowl and can't bat" (or was that throw.. ahh I screwed it up)