Michael Clarke confident over Harris fitness

Ryan Harris will be crucial to Australia’s chances in the Ashes down under

Australia captain, Michael Clarke, has insisted that Ryan Harris will be fully fit and ready to lead the bowling attack when England head Down Under for the next Ashes series.

The inspirational fast bowler rounded off what was a disappointing Ashes for Australia with another impressive personal performance in the drawn final Test at the Oval, going on to pick up Australia’s player of the series award.

The 33-year-old Queensland quick came into this series on the back of yet another injury but showed no signs of any issues on his way to picking up 24 wickets at an average of 19.58, second only to England’s Graeme Swann on the overall series wickets tally.

But while Harris picked up a slight hamstring strain in the final Test of the 3-0 series defeat, Australia are confident of having the rejuvenated bowler ready for action when the next Ashes gets underway in less than three months.

According to the Betfair cricket page, Clarke said, of Harris: “I think he will be fine. He has bowled a lot throughout the series. He deserves a break and he’s got one coming up.”

“He is unbelievable. Statistics don’t lie in Ryano’s case. His stats are as good as anyone’s who I have ever played with. He will keep going. I had to send him off the field at the end because he wasn’t fit to bowl. He doesn’t give up, he doesn’t stop, I love him in the team. Most importantly, he is a great man.”

Injuries have been the main reason for Harris’s failure to become a regular member of Australia’s Test side over the past few years, playing just 16 Test matches since making his debut in 2010. But despite his limited Test match appearances, the fast bowler has now collected a staggering 71 wickets, proving a boon to people who follow the latest odds.