Daniel Harris

[Damon_3388]

Could have stuck this in the Domestic sub-forum, but I wanted it to get maximum coverage in the main cricket forum, and it relates to International cricket as well.

After he scored 70 off 37 balls tonight against WA, I decided to have a look at Daniel Harris' record on CricInfo, and I noticed something interesting, particularly in comparison to a few of the world's best T20 batsmen:

T20 Careers (International numbers in parentheses)

Daniel Harris
Batting Average - 30.96
Batting Strike Rate - 144.40
Balls Per Boundary - 4.62
IPL - Passed in at US$20,000
Australian T20 Team - 0 games (25 T20 games total)

David Warner
Batting Average - 28.49 (28.16)
Batting Strike Rate - 145.15 (146.32)
Balls Per Boundary - 4.72 (4.71)
IPL - Delhi pays US$750,000
Australian T20 Team - 24 games (85 games total)

David Hussey
Batting Average - 33.02 (27.90)
Batting Strike Rate - 136.75 (129.80)
Balls Per Boundary - 6.62 (7.51)
IPL - King's Xi Punjab pay US$1.4 million
Australian T20 Team - 27 games (136 games total)

Cameron White
Batting Average - 32.13 (34.60)
Batting Strike Rate - 137.06 (142.58)
Balls Per Boundary - 6.47 (6.17)
IPL - Deccan pays US$1.1 Million
Australian T20 Team - 24 Games, Captaincy

Yuvraj Singh
Batting Average - 26.27 (31.50)
Batting Strike Rate - 136.10 (151.60)
Balls Per Boundary - 5.43 (5.19)
IPL - Pune pays US$1.8 million
Indian T20 Team - 23 games (79 games total)

I know Warner, Hussey, White and Yuvraj are all "sexier" batsman (hit more sixes), but Harris is seemingly just as effective with the bat (hits more boundaries and has just as good a strike rate and average) as any of them while playing in what is supposedly the world's premier domestic T20 comp (KFC Big Bash).

There's probably a number of other top T20 batsman who Harris matches up to statistically as well. I know people might say that Warner et al have IPL and International T20s included in their stats, and are therefore more "proven" against International competition, but given what Harris has produced here at domestic level in Australia, surely he's deserving of a shot in the IPL or in a random T20I sometime. I mean, someone like Warner didn't just step into the IPL or the Australian T20 team from club cricket, did he? I'd assume he initially got his spot based on his Big Bash form.

So, why doesn't Harris get any love or an IPL contract, and earn a living as a 30-something T20 specialist a la Dirk Nannes, while Warner, Hussey, White and Yuvraj have reputations as some of the premier batsmen in the world in the T20 format and are earning big bucks for their abilities?

 

[The_Reaper]

Because nobody in India has heard of him.

 

[Bounty]

He did deserve an opportunity, but like some that got picked up,it depended on who you have at the table...it helps if your Dads there

 

[ROSEMVP]

I would pay more for him then dan christian.

he is very underated player. also very good one day player.

 

[The Passenger]

70 of 37 is pretty good going. every time i've seen him bat he's struggled to hit the ball of the square.

20/20 is a different kettle of fish though.

 

[Ill Chicken]

He missed his opportunity at the Champions League. He needed to really impress there to get picked up in the IPL.

 

[Gak Attack]

The Doctor did look very good but I believe it was his highest score this year in any form, he certainly deserves to be there but poor form in other forms may have hurt him. It's also about showing up at the right time.. Warner was making big runs at a fast pace in domestic limited overs as Australia were being criticized for not picking the right players for T20, he comes in and belts SA and basically from that one game sets himself up for life with big IPL deals. I also wonder in the last couple of years being in Pollard's shadow hurts him? people automatically credit most of their decent form in the BB to him but it's a team game.

 

[dan warna]

anomalous

I'm pretty sure I could put together a competitive team for less than some are going for.

there are a fair few over-rated players going to the IPL, however I think some of them are there as much for marketing reasons as for their skill.

I suspect Harris doesn't have the 'sell' factor that others have.

What he needs sadly these days is a good press agent...

Tendulkar probably returns 2 or 3 if not more times what he is paid in marketing and sponsorship.

Warne is there for much the same reason, as is gilchrist.

 

[Tazwegian]

70 of 37 is pretty good going. every time i've seen him bat he's struggled to hit the ball of the square.

I have seen him play a couple of times, and he is an awesome driver of the ball, especially through covers.

 

[Jolldo87]

Reading the South Australian thread on the Domestic Cricket board alot of them thought he was finished coming into the BigBash and wanted him dropped from the side before this innings because he hadn't made runs in any form of cricket in a while.

I guess the IPL teams may have had the same feeling.

 

[jo172]

Harris is an unusual beast in that his First Class and List A records are abysmal for a player of his experience.

Having said that he has been a consistently good T20 performer, particularly if you consider he's keeping a T20 gun like Blizzard out of the side.

Agree with the fashionable/marketing comments.

 

[The Passenger]

I'm pretty sure I could put together a competitive team for less than some are going for.

for sure. the nature of 20-20 cricket is that is a bi of a lottery. there isn't much seperating a good team and a poor team and upsets are for more common.

I have seen him play a couple of times, and he is an awesome driver of the ball, especially through covers.

have only seen him bat maybe twice (??) in shield matches some years ago. it was pretty tortorous i gotta admit. not much better in the one day games on foxtel.

without knowing i'd say his record in adelaide grade cricket is very strong which is why he keeps getting chances for SA. A bit like Greg Mail for NSW for so long. Decent batsmen in there own right, and often better bats at first grade level then some of their state teammates who have done well in shield cricket, but that step up just didn't happen for them.

 

[apollo_creed]

for sure. the nature of 20-20 cricket is that is a bi of a lottery. there isn't much seperating a good team and a poor team and upsets are for more common.



have only seen him bat maybe twice (??) in shield matches some years ago. it was pretty tortorous i gotta admit. not much better in the one day games on foxtel.

without knowing i'd say his record in adelaide grade cricket is very strong which is why he keeps getting chances for SA. A bit like Greg Mail for NSW for so long. Decent batsmen in there own right, and often better bats at first grade level then some of their state teammates who have done well in shield cricket, but that step up just didn't happen for them.

I think Harris' last couple of seasons in all forms (before this current one) have been pretty good, and he was making some consistely good/handy scores in the Shield last season.

I stand corrected but I think he's coming off a very good season or two and just hasn't been able to continue his form into this season.

 

[DVD Player]

This is a good observation, according to the figures, he does deserve some sort of international recognition.

 

[Donners]

It strikes me in being as much about marketability as performance. They'd rather pay plenty for a player with international exposure over a cheap player who is an unknown.

 

[Ill Chicken]

Money Ball.

 

[Gazza_11]

Definitely deserves a big contract. Stats are probably bloated by the fact that he thrashes a lot of 4's in Adelaide with the tiny boundaries, but I doubt it would have made a difference if he averaged 50 with a SR of 200.

 

[apollo_creed]

Definitely deserves a big contract. Stats are probably bloated by the fact that he thrashes a lot of 4's in Adelaide with the tiny boundaries, but I doubt it would have made a difference if he averaged 50 with a SR of 200.

All grounds have short boundaries.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Having watched a bit of the Big Bash recently I'd have him in the Aussie T20 team before Warner at the moment.

 

[Damon_3388]

66 of 40 balls (including 7 fours and 3 sixes) this evening against a Tasmanian attack including current and former Test players (and talented T20 bowlers in their own rite) such as Ben Hilfenhaus, Jason Krezja and The Great Rana.

Harris' career numbers now look like this:

Daniel Harris
Batting Average - 34.03
Batting Strike Rate - 144.60
Balls Per Boundary - 4.64
IPL - Passed in at US$20,000
Australian T20 Team - 0 games (28 T20 games total)

May as well throw in Warner's updated numbers for good measure and comparison, as he's considered one of the better T20 openers in the world (international numbers in parentheses):

David Warner
Batting Average - 28.43 (28.24)
Batting Strike Rate - 143.35 (144.67)
Balls Per Boundary - 4.82 (4.83)
IPL - Delhi pays US$750,000
Australian T20 Team - 25 games (89 T20 games total)

Looking at that comparison again (Harris has a significantly better average, and slightly better strike rate and balls per boundary rate, despite not being as much of a power batsman), I'm still not understanding the lack of love for Harris. He might not be a known "name", but if an IPL franchise picked him up and he performed as he has for South Australia, he'd make a name for himself in no time.

 

[power09]

Well ya have to have smith in the team not making runs so harris might as well forget about an australian selection

 

[apollo_creed]

Team needs Smith so Clarke can find him a date for the AB medal

 

[BACCS]

I have a bad feeling his poor Shield and one day form this year has cost him. His Big Bash performances have always been excellent, it's a crime he hasn't been considered for higher honours. (especially considering Klinger was taken in the IPL auction)

 

[aussierulesrules]

After he scored 70 off 37 balls tonight against WA, I decided to have a look at Daniel Harris' record on CricInfo, and I noticed something interesting, particularly in comparison to a few of the world's best T20 batsmen:

T20 Careers (International numbers in parentheses)

Daniel Harris
Batting Average - 30.96
Batting Strike Rate - 144.40
Balls Per Boundary - 4.62
IPL - Passed in at US$20,000
Australian T20 Team - 0 games (25 T20 games total)



David Hussey
Batting Average - 33.02 (27.90)
Batting Strike Rate - 136.75 (129.80)
Balls Per Boundary - 6.62 (7.51)
IPL - King's Xi Punjab pay US$1.4 million
Australian T20 Team - 27 games (136 games total)

Has Harris played T20 cricket in any other countries, or are his stats all from the Big Bash?
I ask this because they showed the 3 highest run scorers in the history of the big bash tonight and David Hussey was third on that list (with 700 odd), with a Big Bash career average of 43 and career strike rate there of 160.
So if Harris's stats are all from our comp, Dussey has a faster/higher strike rate and almost 50% higher average there, which may help to answer part of why he, for instance, is getting so much more money. Then there's also the wickets he takes and his brilliant fielding, which adds to his value.
You could definitely argue that Harris deserves IPL love, though. I imagine both he and Finch would have attracted more bids if the auction had been held this week, rather than a couple of weeks ago, as they've come up with the goods in this year's Bash.

 

[Damon_3388]

Has Harris played T20 cricket in any other countries, or are his stats all from the Big Bash?

I think Harris has played a couple of Champion's League games for South Australia overseas, but I don't think he's played for another team overseas (eg. English County Cricket).