Harmison is the right player at right time – Moxon

Yorkshire have recruited the former England pace man, 33, on a one-month loan to cover for injuries and international commitments.

Harmison is set to make his debut in the County Championship match against Hampshire at Southampton, starting today.

But with the player having been deemed surplus to requirements by parent club Durham, and with Harmison having taken only six wickets in three Championship games this year, the jury is out on whether Yorkshire have made the right call instead of giving a chance to an up-and-coming player.

Moxon, who has put great store by giving young players their opportunities since returning to the club as director of cricket in 2007, is committed to that as a long-term strategy.

However, with Yorkshire deprived of Ryan Sidebottom with a calf injury for up to four Championship games, and Mitchell Starc through Australia A duties for the next two, Moxon said the county needed a proven performer as they enter a crucial phase of the season.

Yorkshire are desperate to win Championship promotion at the first attempt and have identified that as their No 1 target.

However, far from being a risky move, Moxon believes Yorkshire’s capture of Harmison is a positive punt and emphasises their commitment to achieving that goal.

“We’ve got to try and get out of the Second Division this season,” he stressed.

“With the other bowlers we’ve got, we just feel they’re still in the development phase, but we need to win now if we’re going to get out of this division, so Harmy, with his ability and experience, fits the bill at this time for us.

“Basically, we’re trying to have a real go at it (Championship promotion).

“Having spoken to Harmy, and knowing how keen and up for it he is, I don’t think signing him is a gamble at all.”

Moxon’s comments were echoed by first team coach Jason Gillespie, who believes the player still has plenty to offer.

Gillespie said that Harmison, like many bowlers in this rain-ruined season, has been prevented from finding his stride by the adverse weather.

“There’s a lot of bowlers around in county cricket who’ve been frustrated with the weather and a lack of opportunities, and with Durham having so many really good fast bowlers, Steve hasn’t quite been able to crack that,” said Gillespie.

“With Sidebottom out injured but coming along really well, and with Ajmal (Shahzad) having moved on and Starcy not available, we just felt we needed to bring someone in.

“We had an overseas player in mind but that fell through, so we looked at guys who weren’t getting a game and Harmison fitted the bill.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Steve Harmison’s work and we’ve got nothing to lose by having him with us.”

With Durham opting for other pace bowling options as they attempt to lift themselves off the foot of the Championship First Division, Harmison jumped at the chance to play for Yorkshire.

It is an opportunity for him to play himself back into the Durham side as well as help Yorkshire in their promotion quest.

“Steve is very excited about the opportunity,” added Gillespie.

“He probably has a little bit to prove at this moment in time and he doesn’t want to be playing second team cricket.

“It’s not disrespecting second team cricket, but that’s basically for young guys finding their way in county cricket and pushing for first team positions. A senior guy like Harmison has played over 200 games, played over 60 Test matches and doesn’t have to prove himself at second team level.”

There is a chance Harmison’s loan could be cut short to just one game if England name Graham Onions, his county team-mate, on Sunday in their squad for next week’s first Test against South Africa.

However, Moxon, who previously worked with Harmison at Durham, is adamant Yorkshire have signed a player who still has what it takes to succeed.

“Harmy’s got that ability to take wickets, with the attributes he has, with his pace and his height, and he gives us something different to what we’ve already got,” he said.

“Obviously I know him well; we spent a lot of time together when we were at Durham.

“He’s still got pace and bounce and he takes wickets.

“He’s a wicket-taking bowler with a cutting edge.”

As Yorkshire prepare to return to Championship action, Moxon believes they need to win at least half of their remaining eight games to guarantee promotion.

The club are third in the table, 32 points behind leaders Derbyshire as they chase one of the two promotion spots.

“It depends on the weather, of course, but we probably need at least four more wins to be absolutely sure,” he said. “Of course, because the conditions have been so bad, the table is very tight, so it’s possible we could go up with less than that, but we need to be trying to win every game.”

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Gillespie full of praise for Yorkshire’s T20 show: Page 27.