Harris departs for UK hell-bent on Ashes win

Ryan Harris departs for England today fit, focused and hell-bent on returning to Australia with the Ashes – but first, he has to earn his spot back in the Test team.

The 35-year-old fast bowler flies out for London 26 days away from the first Test in Cardiff, having become a new father and undertaken an extensive strength and conditioning programme, his first proper pre-season since 2008, all designed to get his body into peak condition for this five-Test series.

Cricket Australia insisted Harris sit out the second half of the Bupa Sheffield Shield season following a Commonwealth Bank Test series in which the right-arm quick admits was well below his best.

READ MORE: Harris outlines next steps after UK arrival

"I know when I was young I would've cracked it had my coach said he wanted me to sit out half a season, as happened in January, to focus on getting my body right," Harris wrote in a Fairfax column.

"Even though I'm 35 I nearly cracked it anyway!

"It was first raised when I sat down with physio Alex Kountouris, Pat Howard and Darren Lehmann and looked ahead. Even though there's nothing better than playing, I didn't take much convincing, because of what I'd done in the series against India – or, more accurately, what I hadn't done.

Video: Harris takes four in Boxing Day Test

"Even though my stats for the series were OK – I took 10 wickets at 33.4 – I really did feel underdone at times.

"I struggled in spells, my pace was down a bit towards the end of the day because I wasn't quite fit enough.

"I was only bowling three really good overs in a spell rather than the five or six I can usually do."

Image Id: ~/media/88A73772DA8B4181850F931D44BD7454

Harris claims Kohli in last year's Boxing Day Test // Getty Images

Harris had knee surgery in March 2014 after Australia completed a brilliant 2-1 series win in South Africa. A long rehabilitation followed before he returned for last summer's Tests

"When I went through what went wrong against India, I realised it was my own fault. I had let myself get distracted," Harris wrote.

Video: Behind the scenes at Ryno's MRI

"I knew deep down I had a good few months' preparation, but I was doing too many things here and there, going interstate for appearances and stuff.

"Even the Australia A coaching, as great as it was, dragged me away from my rehab.

Image Id: ~/media/AE459A8D93EA4101ABC00D25ACDCF9B4

Harris looks on as Australia A coach in Darwin last winter // Getty Images

"It should've been better. I was doing too much travelling and missing a few training sessions here and there, and it was purely my fault.

"I learnt a lesson from that. That was the determining factor in me agreeing to sit out the second half of the Sheffield Shield season."

Harris has focussed on getting bulk and strength into his legs – particularly the right, which carries the knee that has caused him so much grief – and says it has been the perfect foundation for an Ashes assault.

Video: Harris belts a Test fifty

"When I'm getting out of bed in the morning now, I'm not feeling like a truck has hit me," Harris wrote.

"I've been bowling now for about four or five weeks, and I'm seeing the rewards of it. I'm still pulling up sore but nowhere near as sore as I was.

"I know that's only at training and I've still got to take that step up to match intensity, but I've got a really good base to make that a little bit easier than it normally is."

Video: Harris v Carberry

Ryan and Cherie Harris welcomed son Carter James in late May, the youngster's arrival announced just a few hours before the Australians opened their West Indies tour warm-up match in Antigua.

Harris has been up late into the night, interchanging new dad duties with watching England's Test series against New Zealand as well as Australia's first Test victory against the West Indies in which the fast bowling trio of Mitchells Johnson and Starc plus Josh Hazlewood dominated.

"I'm definitely not expecting to walk straight back into that team," Harris wrote.

"That's the price I pay. I've stayed behind here for a great reason – having a baby is a life-changing experience – and by doing that it's given someone else an opportunity.

Video: In the gym with Ryan Harris

"Both aspects of my preparation, my fitness and (now bigger) family, have been ideal. Now it's time to focus on the big prize: the Ashes.

"Of course I'm going to be doing all I can to be part of our first-choice attack, but whoever is bowling those balls in the Test matches won't matter as long as we can win our first series over there since 2001."