A change of regulation for 2010 meant that counties were allowed to field two overseas players in the Friends Provident T20. Nottinghamshire signed Dirk Nannes, a T20 specialist and one of the first generation of 'freelance' cricketers, who helped them reach the Finals Day in Southampton. He had been Middlesex’s overseas star for 2008, when Middlesex won the Twenty20 title; his was not a tidy bowling action but proved effective in the short form of the game.
Nannes, who was born in Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Victoria on 16 May 1976, was a left arm fast medium bower, who made his debut for his native state in 2005/06. His relatively late start in major cricket came about because his first sporting ambitions were in skiing. By the start of the 2010 season, however, Nannes had taken 93 First-Class wickets at 25.02 and, more impressively, 65 wickets at 18.18 in T20 matches.
Dirk Nannes is one of a few players that have represented more than one country in international cricket. Holding Dutch citizenship through his parents, he played two Twenty20 Internationals for the Netherlands at the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 tournament - including the opening match of the tournament when Netherlands shocked the hosts, England, winning off the very last ball.
Later that year, Dirk Nannes made his One Day International (ODI) and T20I debuts for Australia. In the following year, he appeared in 16 twenty20 matches for Notts in 2010, taking 17 wickets at 27.41.
Nannes joined Surrey for the 2011 and 2012 English Twenty20 tournaments and has also had stints playing for Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mountaineers, Melbourne Renegades, Highveld Lions, Sydney Thunder and Chennai Super Kings.
Dirk Nannes was a freestyle skier before beginning his cricket career, and competed in mogul events at two FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cups. He has commentated on the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea and is a regular cricketer commentator in Australia. He also owns ski hotels in Japan, though he admits to only being able to speak enough Japanese to order food.
August 2020