Harris keen on another India experience

Paul Harris isn't part of the IPL-II but belongs to that rare breed of debutant bowlers who troubled Sachin Tendulkar during the last tour of South Africa, in 2007. The tall left-arm spinner, 28, spoke to HT at Supersport Parkhere. Excerpts:

Paul Harris isn't part of the IPL-II but belongs to that rare breed of debutant bowlers who troubled Sachin Tendulkar during the last tour of South Africa, in 2007. Once referred to as 'Lord Harris' by commentator Ravi Shastri, the tall left-arm spinner, 28, spoke to HT at Supersport Parkhere.

HT Image

Excerpts

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Are you surprised that the spinners are doing well in IPL?
Not really. Our spinners do really well in our T20. I think it is a bit easy for seamers than in India but I am not surprised that spinners are doing well. I love bowling here in T20 and most spinners do well here.

You were in the auction list but not picked by any team. How does it feel to be ignored?
I was not too disappointed. I know that the Indian culture breeds spinners and there are a lot of spinners in India. The franchises use home-grown spinners, which is a good thing for the players as well. I understand the reasons why. Obviously, I'll work hard at my game and do well for SA, and by doing well for SA, they (franchises) will pick me next year. I'd love to play in IPL and it will be great to have a go.

Where is your Test career placed at the moment?
It is going very well. I did very well against Australia in the last Test at Cape Town and got a six-for. I enjoyed it. I want to do really well for SA in Tests and by doing so break into the One-day side and hopefully play for SA in T20.

You challenged the Indians on your debut. Did you expect to succeed against them?
It is always a challenge when you play against India. There are some great players, not just good players. In SA, there is a bit more bounce than in other places and the bounce has helped me a lot when they toured here (2006-07). When we toured India, the pitches were very good, we had a good series, it was drawn one-all. It was a very tight tour and I enjoyed my experience, and I am looking forward to another tour to India. One of the highlights of my career would be to go back to India and play another Test series.

How did you manage to pose threats to Indians?
I was fresh, new to the international scene and nobody knew me. I had the edge on that count. They (Indians) did the homework when they played me the second time in India (March-April 2008). The pitches were good and they played me really well. I enjoyed the experience, learnt a lot on those conditions.

Who did you enjoy bowling against among the Indians?
I loved my second Test wicket (the first was Dinesh Karthik), that of Sachin Tendulkar. That moment will be one of the highlights of my career. Sachin is a lovely guy, an unbelievable cricketer for me. I enjoyed bowling to Sourav Ganguly also, he was a quality player of spin.

You also faced some flak from the Indians in your career, haven't you?
One of the hardest moments was in Chennai when Sehwag hit us for 300. It was an unbelievable innings to watch. It’d have been nice if it was against someone else. He played well. That was a hard trip. I'd say I have not had embarrassing moments, but some testing moments.

Among spinners, whom did you admire?
For me there was obviously one spinner in my mind, Warnie (Shane Warne). He was unbelievable. Harbhajan (Singh) is great, his control over the seam was unbelievable. I learnt a lot from him on that Indian tour (2008) and he is very friendly guy.

What do you do if you are not playing cricket?
I have got a wife, she keeps me busy (laughs). I took a month off, went to Mozambique on a holiday; then it was back to coaching, getting the injuries sorted out. Mozambique is one of my favourite holiday spots. I surf and fish all day, it is great. There is no cell phone reception, be completely away from cricket, get into water, do some surfing.

How important is it to switch off from cricket?
It is very important. The problem with cricket at the moment is that there is too much cricket. Guys look for the chance to take breaks. A couple of the Aussies have taken a break from IPL and I know the reasons why. You are playing One-day cricket, T20 and Test and you don't have time to relax, time for yourself and for your family. For me, it is great to get away from the game and take your mind off the game.