Ex-England pacer Harmison wants to pay his due to Durham

London, June 4 (ANI): Having played 63 Tests for England and claimed 226 wickets, former England fast bowler Steve Harmison has said he would like to pay back English County Durham for showing faith in his skills as a player.

Harmison who has just two years of his four-year contract left, has played only eight County Championship matches for Durham since the start of 2011.

During his peak in international cricket, few liked facing Harmison, who was once described as a once-in-a-generation cricketer destined to rule the world.

"I loved those days. Regrets? What regrets. I played 63 Tests for England, so I ain't going to regret anything," the Daily Mirror quoted Harmison, as saying.

In mid-2004, he was a top ranked Test bowler.

'You have times in your career where you go through a great patch, and there are others where you go through a kind of second-season syndrome. Do people work you out? The honest answer is, I don't know,' he said.

Now he admits he takes huge pleasure from watching Andrew Strauss's world No. 1 side and dismisses comparisons with Australia at Lord's in the 2005 Ashes.

"Jimmy Anderson is the best, most skilful bowler I've met. He is a good snooker player, a good darts player, he could play football. He could bat, he's an unbelievable fielder. And it is quite a skill to swing it both ways at his pace," he added. (ANI)