3 min readUpdated: May 5, 2026 04:46 PM IST
South African off-spinner Simon Harmer said that India’s dominance in world cricket was underpinned by its commercial and administrative power, arguing that South Africa’s World Test Championship (WTC) triumph had not significantly altered the global balance.
South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets to win the WTC final at Lord’s last year, their first major red-ball crown since readmission in 1991-92.
“Because of their commercial power, they have all of the power,” Harmer told The Guardian. “The BCCI control the ICC. But what can we do? As a player, you just control the controllables. The only thing that changes the narrative is winning trophies.”
Harmer was part of the South African side that defeated India 2-0 at home last year to inflict a second consecutive series loss at home on the Shubman Gill-led side. He expressed admiration for the current South African setup under head coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma, describing it as a side built on collective strength rather than star power.
“That team is more than the sum of its parts with only a couple of superstars,” he says. Conrad, in particular, has earned Harmer’s respect for his blunt, no-nonsense approach. “If he thinks you’re shit, he’ll tell you straight. I rate that. I’ve not always had that.”
On English spinners, Harmer was more sympathetic, suggesting that conditions and the structure of county cricket often limited their impact and pushed them into supporting roles rather than leading ones. “In England, generally your spinners are a bit of an afterthought,” he says.
While he acknowledged the quality of individuals like Liam Dawson and Jack Leach, he believed their effectiveness was often shaped by the system around them. “It’s not a lack of resources, you’ve got 18 counties,” Harmer says. “But how many have a spin-bowling coach? Probably two or three.”
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For Harmer, the issue extended beyond resources to mentality and competitive edge under pressure. “Somebody can have all the skills in the world, but when it hits, if they run for the hills, it doesn’t matter how good they are,” he says. “I think English cricketers don’t always have that fight in them.”
He also criticised the county system for allowing stagnation to exist. “With 18 teams, there’s definitely a place for mediocrity,” Harmer says. “There are loads of guys just plodding along, doing enough to keep their average contracts.”
