I could have played for England, says Aussie star Harris

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AFP London
Last Updated : Jul 19 2013 | 11:00 AM IST
Australia pace bowler Ryan Harris tormented England on the first day of the second Test at Lord's and then revealed he could have been an Ashes hero for the hosts.
Harris ripped the heart out of England's top order yesterday with three valuable wickets, including two in five balls, to keep Australia in contention for a crucial victory in the battle to regain the Ashes.
The 33-year-old dismissed Joe Root and Kevin Pietersen and then returned to make another important breakthrough when he tempted Jonathan Trott into a rash stroke.
After England finished the day wobbling at 289-7, Harris admitted he could just as easily have been wearing England's colours instead of the famous baggy green Australian cap.
Sydney-born Harris has a British passport because his father was born in Leicester and, while playing for English county Sussex in 2008, he had considered committing himself to his dad's country of birth.
But Queensland, impressed by his form for Sussex, moved in to sign him on condition he committed himself to Australia.
Speaking in the England and Wales Cricket Board offices after play closed on Thursday, he said: "Last time I was in this building I had a meeting with (former England captain) Mike Gatting about that passport.
"I travelled here to play a little bit, and having an English passport made it a bit easier.
"But dad moved over to Australia when he was 10 or 11, so he was brought up an Aussie and brought me and my brother up as Aussies.
"It was a messy situation. I had a really good offer for Queensland that came through at the time, and that's where I thought I might have one last crack at trying to play for Australia. Obviously, it was the right move."
Thursday's success was a cathartic moment for Harris, who has battled back from a series of ailments that threatened to wreck his career following his belated Test debut aged 30 in 2010.
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First Published: Jul 19 2013 | 11:00 AM IST

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