Moments after Ryan Harris announced his retirement, Englishmen were declaring it a game changer.

Michael Vaughan, Graeme Swann and Matt Prior all paid tribute to Harris’ career on Twitter, but pointed out it was a “massive blow” to Australia’s Ashes defence.

The logic is sound – Harris was Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the 2013 Ashes.

But the man himself isn’t quite so sure.

“Am I going to be missed? I don’t know if I am,” the paceman said.

“I’m going to miss bowling in these conditions personally, but from a team’s perspective the guys we have now are going to do just as good a job.

“The guys we’ve got in there are going to do the job, they’re good in any conditions.”

35-year-old Harris was full of praise for Australia’s incumbent pace attack of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Pat Cummins will join the side in Cardiff as a replacement for Harris, while Victorian veteran Peter Siddle is also in the 17-man squad.

Johnson, Starc and Hazlewood are set to be the first-choice attack this week.

Starc is 25 years old, while Hazlewood is 24.

Cummins and James Pattinson, currently recovering from a hamstring setback, are also both under the age of 26.

Harris explained it was the country’s pace depth that helped him realise another comeback after more surgery would be foolish.

“It was four to five months minimum before I could probably run again,” he said.

“By then, getting back into this side was I think going to be impossible with the guys we’ve got here.

“This is a very special team and I know they will do Australia proud in this Ashes series.”

Harris will remain with the squad for a few weeks and said he’d be there to offer advice to Hazlewood or Starc.

“If they want to talk about it,” he said.

“I’m not going to go to them, there’s a bowling coach that’s there to do that.”