Responding to former Australian quik Jason Gillespie’s comment that he noticed a big change in the England squad during the 2005 Ash, Harmison, who was on the 2005 squad, said: The difference between then 2003, 2001, 1999, 1997 is that in 2005 we were a team.

Gillespie said he had never seen such camaraderie in the England team during the previous series between the two teams.

I noticed a big difference in the England squad during the 2005 Ashes … we had never felt that about the Australian team before, Gillespie told Sen Radio Thursday.

England usually came out on the pitch in droplets … (but this time) it was very noticeable that as soon as the umpires got on the pitch, (England skipper) Michael Vaughan came right out, everybody came right out, had a quick conversation and then literally ran to their positions, the bowler would run and pass his cap to the umpire, and before our batters were halfway across the pitch, the whole England team was ready to play, ready to rock, Gillespie added.

Harmison, 44, who played 63 tests, taking 226 wickets, said quite a few selfish players contributed to the low culture in the England team.

We grew up as a team, we played as a team and behaved off the field as a team (in 2005). There were a lot of selfish characters playing for the England team in 1997, 2001, 2003/04, Harmison said.

Some great cricketers, don’t get me wrong … but when you look at – and I don’t have a hard time saying this – Nasser (Hussein), Athers (Michael Atherton), Torpey (Graham Thorpe), Corky (Dominic Cork), Darren Gough, Andy Caddock, there was a group of individuals playing all together as a team, and if you look at 2005, we were a team, Harmison added.

Harmison added that even if the Australian cricketers had differences, they were negated for the common good of the team.

If you look at (the Australian team), your guys were a team. You may have had some disagreements, but we never once picked on (any of them). Hussain and Atherton, who played a total of 211 Tests, were at the helm of the England team before Vaughan became skipper in 2003 and won the Ashes in 2005.