Steve Harmison: I want to stay at Durham long-term

STEPHEN Harmison is already planning a Durham career beyond the end of his playing days, but has no idea if his time with England has run its course.

The 31-year-old has signed a four-year contract at the Riverside and would like to move on to Durham’s coaching staff when it expires.

The obituaries for Harmison’s international career were written when he was left out of this winter’s tour of South Africa.

And while the fast bowler is refusing to retire from England duty, part of him hopes he never wears the Three Lions again.

It is not that Harmison does not enjoy representing his country, but with England rebuilding for the next Ashes, his continued exile means they are heading in the right direction.

There was never any question of the two-times Ashes winner quitting the game completely after being Durham’s leading wicket-taker in back-to-back County Championship successes.

“I just said to the club if you offer me a four-year contract I’ll sign it,” he said of a deal said to be worth £600,000.

“I learned from Darren Gough when he was at Yorkshire. He got accused of not wanting to play for his county when he was playing for England, that was always in the back of my mind. I wanted to make sure no one could label that with me.

“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I left. It’s an exciting place to be and I’d like to think I’ve got a job here beyond four years. I don’t think I’ll be playing cricket then but I’d like to be around here for many, many years. This club is going to win title after title after title, or at least be in and around it. I got a text message off the captain (Will Smith) the other day saying, ‘Congratulations on your new contract, I’m looking forward to trying to win it (the Championship) for a third year in a row.’

“That’s five months before our first game.”

Harmison has decided not to retire from international cricket in haste, realising he could be left repenting at his leisure.

“People ask me if I am going to retire, why should I?” asked a man who has taken 222 wickets in 62 England Tests.

“They are not going to pick me so what is the point? England are going with a group of young fast bowlers to South Africa. I really hope they do well.

“I really love playing for England and if it came again I would love to play again. But they want to try and win the Ashes over there (in Australia in 2010-11). They are going to go with someone else, which is fine by me.

“I just hope they stick with that policy and when times are hard, which they will be, the public stick by them. I will go out like I did this year and the year before to try and take wickets for Durham.

“If that sees my name put in the hat to play for England again and I can be of service, I will be happy to do that.

“But the way it has been explained to me is England are trying to move onto the next level for their next big series in Australia in 2010.

“I would have been fine to play this winter but the problem is all the games between now and Australia.”

One situation will push Harmison into international retirement, however.

“If I knew it wasn’t possible for me to go to Australia I would retire for the sake of everybody,” he promised.

“If I am suddenly taking wickets and people are saying like they have done for the last two years, ‘You have to pick him,’ I might think I am not going to Australia so I will retire now. Six months is a long time to have off so there might be a chance I feel I could give it another go. But at this moment I want everyone to move on.”