Ryan Harris: Australia's under-rated champion

The sudden and unexpected retirement of Ryan Harris has been as unwelcome as it has burdensome to myself, and will become so to other unsuspecting Australian cricket fans soon.

I'm going to put this out there: Ryan Harris is the best Australian Cricketer of the last decade.

Yes, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Matthew Hayden all played in that time - but they didn't play in all of that time.

They were all great players and helped Australia dominate the sport over a prolonged period of time as a group, but they retired and the sport fell into a whole so big that even Xavier Doherty was picked as a front-line spinner for the Test side.

That's right, this guy.

That's not to say "Rhyano" / "Rhino" didn't deserve his spot, not at all.  Ryan Harris was not only an exceptional fast bowler, but like all champion sportsman, he made those around him better.

The expression "Bowlers win games, Batsmen save them" exists.  A large part of that reason is Ryan Harris.

From the time he overcame ANOTHER injury to win back his place in the side in England during the 2013 Ashes, Australia looked like a different side. 

England, along with everyone on earth, had been as surprised by Ashton Agars selection in the first Test as they were with the 98 runs he cracked off (seemingly) 12 balls.  England still won though, and convincingly so.

The second Test went more to formula still as England won by 347 runs and Australia had no surprises left.

Once Harris came into the team though, Australia regained its competitiveness and the series came alive.  The hope that he brought to Australian fans was almost as enjoyable as the smugness that suddenly departed from English fans.

The hope that Harris brought inspired his teammates and they went on to win the return Ashes fixture 5-0.

As good as Gilchrist et al were, they never had to play with the same teammates that Harris did or inspire individually.  Like the Borg, they had a collective. 

The Borg.  Really, really good at recruitment.

During the lean years in which Rob Quiney was picked as a number 3 to shield the sorely missed Phil Hughes from a South African Attack, Ryan Harris continually made Australia competitive & more often than not a winner.

Brett Lee took more wickets than Harris and was lauded and publicized widely.  Not so for Harris, who focused on his game over publicity and finished with a better average than Lee and a better strike rate.  Lee was quicker, but Harris was better.

Harris' ability to keep Australia competitive in those lean years kept the publics interest in the sport, kept punters coming to games,  the coffers of Cricket Australia full and kids playing the game; ensuring its future.

Many champions are revered simply because they are good at playing their sport.  Harris was exceptional at playing his sport, but he was so much more, he was inspirational.  

His undying effort and approach lifted those on and off the field with him alike.  He reminded us that sport is something that can inspire us to something greater and bring us together to do so. 

His value to a team that had the raw pace of Mitchell Johnson and  the power hitting of Dave Warner was something that was never widely understood or recognised.  Ryan Harris was the best Australian cricketer of the last ten years and he will be missed.