anzac said:
I don't really understand the basis for a comparison
I do - it's all about waiting for Harmison to blow up.
As far as I'm concerned, he's bowling better than any paceman to have got into the England team for some time - and that's as far as I will be drawn.
Even when Harmison wasn't on the top of his game, he still bowled enough wicket-taking deliveries to take 8 NZ wickets last weekend and play a significant part in a good England win. At least no-one said that they were flukes, his figures flattered him - perhaps they didn't think of that one at the time.
I'm not going overboard - I've seen it so many times with other bowlers in the past 35 or 40 years, but many people on these boards have closed minds. For them, the glass is definitely half-empty at best, and no matter how long you run it under the tap, will remain so to the point of getting wet fingers.
At one time, Harmison was written off as a joke - and it was always a case of the early figures being used as brickbats to beat him with. 'Come back when he's played in the Caribbean' they said, rapidly followed by 'The West Indies are rubbish - that doesn't count, New Zealand will have no trouble.'
Well, 'oops' is as good a word as any. Now, it's 'one test against New Zealand is not enough'. Well, he can only bowl to who's put in front of him, and if New Zealand just weren't good enough in the first test, then judgement has to be postponed again, and again, and again until he either flops or comes up against Australia.
No, the idea of comparing Steve Harmison against any overseas bowler is nonsense, because there are too many closed minds - and they won't even recognise the possibility of improvement.