Harris - Rhino

I dedicate this book to Mummiss you every dayand to Dad, Gavin and all my extended familymy deepest gratitude for your support. And to Cherie, thank you for completing my life.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have helped make this book a reality.

It has been something that I could never have achieved but for the generosity and hard work of so many individuals.

Firstly, to Dad and Gav for making themselves available to talk through the many memorable moments that we have shared in our life together. Thank you for making the time, often at short notice, to help me out, not just with this, but with everything I ask of you.

Cherie, I am grateful that you chose to be with me. Thankyou for your encouragement, positivity and counsel whenever I have come home from cricket nursing my latest ailment and feeling down on the world. There were probably a few times with this book where it felt like I was tackling some new and challenging form of rehab, but we got through it.

To Darren Lehmann, Adam Gilchrist, Greg Blewett, Mitchell Johnson and James Hopes, thank you for creating space in busy schedules and for being open and honest. I enjoy our times on and off the field.

To Kevin Sims, Damian Mednis, Peter Brukner and David Young for their professionalism, patience and care during my journey through injury and recovery, and to Alex Kountouris for his devotion to getting players back. I extend an extra big thanks to the entire medical and support staff over the years who have provided me with expert careits a long list, but you know who you are.

To teammates past and presentat Northern Districts, South Australia, Toombul, Queensland, Brisbane Heat, Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab, Lowerhouse, Surrey, Sussex, Australias T20, ODI and Test teamsit has been a great experience made better by being part of a team. Thanks boys.

To the South Australian Cricket Association, Queensland Cricket and Cricket Australia: many thanks to the staff and directors for their whole-hearted support over the years that has allowed me the opportunity to represent my country.

Throughout these pages I have acknowledged the many coaches who have worked to make me better and to provide the guidance and wisdom that any player who aspires to reach the top must absorb and put into practice. To that end, Russell Thompson and Ian Morrison from Northern Districts deserve praise for their excellent work throughout their careers, with me and countless other young players. They are indicative of the mighty efforts of every volunteer who devotes time to make the grassroots of our game strong.

To the unflappable Pam Brewster and the team at Hardie Grant Books, thank you for having the faith in me to accomplish this book. I acknowledge your enthusiasm and support, particularly in those times when it seemed to be too big a task.

To my co-authors Jason Phelan and Stephen Gray, I greatly appreciate the many hours of hard work and late nights that you devoted to this project, and your unflagging optimism for the task. A special thanks to your families who no doubt had to make sacrifices along the way to enable the book to be worked upon when it was needed.

Well done to Lawrie Colliver for providing quick and accurate statistics when needed and to all of the professional and amateur photographers whose work is on show in these pages.

Finally, to my manager, Andrew McRitchie, who convinced me to consider doing a book, and then convinced me to actually do a book instead of just thinking about it. Cheers mateyep, it was worth it.

Who would have thought that the skinny little bloke with a cheeky grin that I used to see running around at Northern Districts in Adelaide would one day ask me to write a foreword to a book about him.

So, of course, when Ryan Harris asked me, I said yes.

Over the years I have known him, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been close to not just Ryan, but also his family: his mum, Gai, and father, Jim, and brother, Gavin. I know his mum would be exceptionally proud of the person he has become today, and the way he has overcome the challenges that have been flung at him along the way.

Ryan has demonstrated that when he sets himself a task to complete, he will be relentless in achieving it. As a coach you couldnt ask for more, and I am sure the fans of the game would agree. Whether its rehabilitating from an injury, throwing himself into a seemingly hopeless cause only to force a breakthrough, or driving himself to deliver one more spell for his captainRyno will get it done.

Its a long way, indeed, from the bloke whose career once hung in the balance.

He has had his ups and downs, like any of us, and when it seemed as if his choices might have taken a much less successful path, he managed to change direction. Hes come out the other side and has made himself a modern-day folk hero with his courage, determination and sheer force of will to overcome setbacks. He shines on the world stage doing what he does bestbowling fast and with great skill.

Theres still the sense of mischief in him, though, and I hope that this side of him comes through in the book. Ive had a lot of laughs with Ryan and admired him for the way he has handled the good times along with the bad.

Ive been there alongside him as a player, a coach and, above all, a mate. I love him.

On behalf of Andrea and Ethan and Amy, we feel privileged to be a part of his life.

Congratulations on this tale mate, although I am certain there are a few more chapters still to come that will be worth sticking around for.

Darren Lehmann

October 2014

How many painkillers are too many? Its a question most sensible, level-headed people would probably never stop to ask themselves.

How many? A dozen in a day? Eight, ten more?

Starting with some paracetamol when you wake up, then breakfast with a Voltaren chaser, get to the ground, warmup a top-up each session, then maybe some more at the end of the day when the pleasure and pain from breathtaking ice baths and boiling hot showers has worn off.

Im aware that the humble Tupperware container I carry everywhere, with its hearty mix of prescription and over-the-counter pain relief, probably carries enough anti-inflammatory elements to put out a small blaze. Fortes? You could stage a re-creation of the opening titles of Game of Thrones with the fortes I can bring forth.

And you know what? The days when I dont have to take any are definitely days I look forward to. That means all is well in the house of Harris or at a tolerable level anyway.

Tolerable was barely cutting it, though, when we were in South Africa for the 2014 series in March and April, which saw Australia grit its way back to the number one ranking in Test cricket for the first time in five years. After back-to-back Ashes series, one ending in disappointment, the other in triumph, taking on the Proteas at home was always going to require the team, coaching and support staff to deliver an effort above and beyond.

The hard-nosed South Africans were a lot like us: didnt like losing, had enormous pride in performing for their country and relished a scrap. Taking on the Proteas after going hammer and tongs with England to win 50 was a bit like an amateur boxer taking off the headgear following a tournament win and then climbing into a cage for some torrid MMA action with a fresh opponent.

Id played nine Tests out of a possible ten during the 201314 Ashes super seriesa personal milestone. As I had quipped to the media when I got back from England in August, I had achieved my goal of returning on the same plane as the rest of the team instead of being forced home early with injury.