LONDON: England paceman Steve Harmison has confessed that he froze under pressure at the start of the Ashes series and that the first Test shocker rekindled memories of the "worst" day of his career.
Harmison's technique, mental state and place in the team have all been scrutinised since he sent down that wide on the first ball of the series and then bowled horribly astray for match figures of 1-177.
As his confidence, position and friendship with captain Andrew Flintoff continued to be questioned, Harmison admitted what his fans suspected.
"When it came to bowling the first ball, I froze," he said.
"I let the enormity of the occasion get to me. It all seemed so alien to me, he said.
"My whole body was nervous. I could not get my hands to stop sweating," he said.
"The first ball slipped out of my hands, the second did as well and, after that, I had no rhythm, nothing," he added.
Harmison said his mind immediately went back to England's 2002-03 Ashes tour when he lost his run-up and bowled 16 wides in the tour opener in Perth.
"For a moment I had dire memories of the worst day of my entire career, when, in the first match of my last tour here at Lilac Hill, my bowling collapsed completely," Harmison said.
"And while I never felt I was going to lose it to that extent here, the harder I tried, the worse things got."
