He also played down suggestions that Australia would have the edge over England following a 5-0 Ashes win on home soil in 2013/14, adding that if anyone might have "scarring" it would be the Australians given they had not won a Test series in Britain since 2001.
Harris was left out of Australia's ongoing final warm-up match against Essex after suffering a recurrence of the knee trouble that has plagued his career, but with Michael Clarke's men boasting plenty of fast bowling cover, Thomson said Thursday: "I wouldn't have had him in any way."
"I know (people talk about) Johnson, but I think Hazlewood might be a leading wicket-taker here. I love Starc, always have for years. He'd be my first pick."
Thomson made his name during Australia's 4-1 Ashes series win in 1974/75 when he formed a celebrated fast-bowling partnership with Dennis Lillee.
Also Read
In five matches that series -- he missed the last through injury -- Thomson took 33 wickets at under 18 apiece bowling at a ferocious pace that has rarely, if ever, been exceeded.
Asked if fast bowlers caused long-term psychological damage to opposition batsmen, Thomson said: "I don't think it is psychological. We (Australia) haven't won here for 14 years. So we've got a bit of scar tissue if you want to call it that."
"Playing here is hard work. It was the damndest thing, the team we flogged in Australia, then we came here and it was really uphill trying to win a match.