South African off-spinner Simon Harmer has made a bold comment regarding India’s increasing importance in world cricket and the imbalance it generates despite South Africa’s recent victory in the World Test Championship.
In the WTC final at Lord’s last year, South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets to win their first major trophy in 27 years. Harmer thinks that India can affect the course of the game because of its administrative power and commercial might.
“Because of their commercial power, they have all of the power,” he told The Guardian. The BCCI controls the ICC. But what can we do? As a player, you just control the controllables. The only thing that changes the narrative is winning trophies.”
Harmer was also a member of the South African team that won its first Test series in 25 years, 2-0, in India last year. Taking 17 wickets at an average of 8.94 in four innings, he was instrumental in the whitewash. Additionally, he praised South Africa’s current squad led by captain Temba Bavuma and head coach Shukri Conrad, characterizing it as a team based more on teamwork than individual star power.
“That team is more than the sum of its parts, with only a couple of superstars,” he said. “If he thinks you’re not good enough, he’ll tell you straight. I rate that. I’ve not always had that.”
Harmer also considered the function of spinners in English circumstances. He has had great success in county cricket with Essex, taking 72 wickets at 19.19 in his first season and helping them win their first title in 25 years. He was the nation’s top spinner at the end of that season and several that followed. He led the overall wicket statistics in three of those seasons.
“In England, generally your spinners are a bit of an afterthought,” Harmer said.
Although he acknowledged the skill of bowlers like Jack Leach and Liam Dawson, he believed that their influence is frequently influenced by the structures around them. “It’s not a lack of resources – you’ve got 18 counties,” Harmer added. “But how many have a spin-bowling coach? Probably two or three.”
According to him, county systems frequently restrict spinners’ power and force them into supporting positions rather than leadership ones.