LONDON, Jan 21: Stephen Harmison is set to provide the acid test of new England captain Andrew Strauss’s desire for the players to take more responsibility for their own preparation and performance.

Strauss leads England to the West Indies on Wednesday with the tourists keen for fast bowler Harmison to recapture the form he demonstrated in the Caribbean four years ago. In that Test series Harmison took 23 wickets at under 15 apiece including a stunning spell of seven for 12 in Jamaica where the first Test of the upcoming campaign starts on February 4.

However, the odd flash of brilliance apart, Harmison’s form has dipped alarmingly since those heady times and the 30-year-old, a veteran of 59 Tests, has infuriated England by being unable to sustain a decent basic level of performance.

Indeed, since the start of the 2006-07 tour of Australia, Harmison - who has admitted in the past to not liking touring abroad - has managed just 38 wickets in 14 matches at an expensive average of 45.28.

”If Steve Harmison is bowling well and at 90mph, he’s the first name on pretty much any team sheet in the world,” said Strauss. “Clearly he’s as frustrated as anyone that he hasn’t been able to do that as consistently as he’d like. I’ve spoken to him a couple of times since we’ve come back from India and he has a clear understanding of where he needs to go to bowl consistently at that sort of pace.”

“In keeping with giving players responsibility, I’m quite happy with what he’s said to me in terms of how he’s going to get there.

“I’m confident. He’s a very important player for us in terms of the threat that he gives us on the pitch.”—Agencies