The third coming of Simon Harmer
Simon Harmer, reaper of 17 wickets at the outrageous average of 8.94 in South Africa's two Tests in India this month, may not play another match in the format for more than a year. And the series' top wicket-taker is fine with that.
"I want to make South African cricket better," Harmer told a press conference on Wednesday. "If that means I only get selected in the subcontinent I've got absolutely no issue with that.
"I want to contribute. I want this team to do well. I want this team to dominate Test cricket for as long as they possibly can.
"If I'm here to act in a supporting role in any which way I can, I'm more than happy to do that."
Harmer was central to South Africa's 2-0 win. He took 4/32 and 4/21 in the tense 30-run victory at Eden Gardens, and 3/64 and 6/37 in the 408-run thumping in Guwahati.
But South Africa won't play Tests until September 2026, when they host Australia for three matches. In November Bangladesh will visit for two more, followed by England in December for three.
Despite his roaring success in India, Harmer might not play in any of those matches. Because South Africa's go-to spinner in their own conditions is Keshav Maharaj. Rarely is there room in their XI for two slow poisoners. Only in February 2027 will the South Africans be back in Asia - to play two Tests in Sri Lanka.
Maharaj took 11 fewer wickets than Harmer and was 20.89 runs more expensive in average terms. But the South Africans aren't ready to demote a bowler who has claimed more wickets for them than any other spinner - 218 at 29.22.
Harmer himself made the case for his Maharaj's retention as South Africa's No. 1: "Kesh is a world-class spinner. He's proved his worth around the world in tough spinning conditions. If you look at how he bowled [in this series], there were a lot of balls that hit the glove and fell into space; nicks that didn't go to hand. You need a little bit of luck. I got it this time."
Luck? Harmer's average is the lowest by a South Africa bowler in any Test series and the second-lowest by any bowler who has taken 15 or more wickets in a rubber in India. His average in the country, 15.03, is the lowest among bowlers who have taken at least 25 wickets. Harmer's 27 career wickets in India make him the most successful South Africa bowler there. After 14 Tests everywhere, Harmer has 69 wickets - more than any other South Africa spinner. All of which adds up to a lot more than luck.
Yet Harmer's gaze couldn't be shifted from the bigger picture: "The focus was always on trying to win the series and on the team's success. The personal stuff is a nice to have, but I would have been happy to leave India making a small contribution and the team winning. It's the cherry on the top that I've done well.
"The biggest thing for me is the team we have, and the enjoyment in that. You can see how excited everybody is for one another's success. That brings me the biggest joy, sharing a changeroom with these guys, the world Test champions, being part of that, being part of the team's success. Those are the personal wins, not the personal milestones."
It took a while, but he did eventually look in the mirror. Sort of: "I think I'm a better bowler than I was. I'm very happy with who I am as a person and as a cricketer. I don't think I need the public to think more or less of me. I'm quite happy to come and contribute.
"That's all I've ever wanted to do, to be able to look back at the end of my career and say that I was the best version of Simon Harmer that I could be, that I took steps when I was dropped from the national side to try and get better. I just wanted to be able to turn around and say that I left no stone unturned and I tried as much as I could."
Harmer made his debut against West Indies at Newlands in January 2015 and played four more Tests that year. But he lost his place in the national side to Dane Piedt, which prompted him to sign a Kolpak deal with Essex before the 2017 county season. That took him out of the equation for international selection.
He was back in March 2022 against Bangladesh at Kingsmead, where he took match figures of 7/124, and he played four more Tests until March 2023. A combination of the IPL's impact on South Africa's player pool, Covid and injuries helped Harmer come back. But Maharaj shut the door on him after that.
Until this tour. Harmer was part of the 3-0 hiding South Africa took in India in November 2015, so he knew some of what to expect. But he never expected this.
"Never in a million years did I think that I would have another shot at international cricket. Never in a million years did I think that I would come to India again. To be here, to win 2-0, to be player-of-the-series, it's special and surreal.
"I'm very happy with the way things have panned out. I'm very grateful for the opportunities that Temba [Bavuma] and Shukri [Conrad] have given me, believing in me and giving me the chance to come back and play Test cricket.
"I'm 36, and I've been playing for a while. You start to learn. They say spin is an art and I really do believe it's the subtle changes, the deception, especially as an off-spinner. You don't have as many variations as in other forms of spin, and as you go through your career playing in different conditions you need to find solutions. You need to find ways to get better, to evolve.
"Playing cricket in South Africa as a spinner is very different to playing cricket in England and different to India. So I do believe the skillset I've built up over my career has helped me in this series. It's helped me to understand different conditions, what those conditions demand of you, and the ability to be consistent; to be able to put the ball in one area for a consistent period of time."
In Rawalpindi last month Harmer became just the fourth South African to reach 1,000 first-class wickets. And the only spinner. To do so he has had to overcome many obstacles and challenges, including the ego we all have.
That's still in there somewhere, of course. None of us could function without it. Even so, Harmer spent much of his press conference on Wednesday seeing past himself. And that's more impressive than anything he has or will do on a cricket ground.
