It’s just not cricket.
Stephen Harmison has found that life as a hurler is a world away from tea at the interval in the Ashes.
Brendan Maher appears to have gotten the better half of the deal, which saw him move to Australia for a week to try out cricket as part of this year’s Toughest Trade TV show to be broadcast later this year.
The Tipperary All-Ireland winner spent a number of days with the Strikers, one of the leading sides in cricket’s Big Bash League, and seemed to have a great time while Down Under as he swapped life as hurler for that of a professional cricketer.
Hurler Down Under @BennyMaher has to get to work if he wants to avoid a golden duck at The Big Bash! #TheToughesthttps://t.co/12chb9iHVI
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) January 11, 2016
The Tipperary man looked well padded up for his time Down Under, and now today the man who has swapped his life as professional to try out with Maher’s club side Borris-Ileigh has been revealed.
Harmison has been pictured doing a winter slog with the local club in the last 24 hours, and it looks like the Englishman has found a fairly shocking cultural difference between cricket and hurling already.
Former Ashes winning cricketer @Harmy611 looks like he's struggling in @Borris_GAA as part of #TheToughest Trade! pic.twitter.com/x1f0bdyBBk
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) January 29, 2016
@AIB_GAA @Harmy611 Harmy is flying it.A real bear in the square. Drom won't know what hit them #hitthemfor6 #thetoughest
— Borris-Ileigh GAA (@Borris_GAA) January 29, 2016
The 37-year-old is based in England and the former bowler is likely to be put through his paces in a local club game this week.
Today’s news means that we are now just waiting confirmation on the American footballer who will be swapping places with Aidan O’Shea, who is heading off to America next month.