Dan "DC" Christian...or sometimes "Siri"
The burning question: Will this be Dan Christian’s final game?
It’s been a while coming, but Dan Christian quietly called time on an extraordinary career last week.
Tonight, though, Christian and his Sydney Sixers will seek to reach the BBL12 final. If successful, they will reacquaint themselves with the Perth Scorchers for a third consecutive year.
An in-form Brisbane Heat stand in their way, a team Christian is not unfamiliar with.
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Initially, news of his decision was leaked into the Twittersphere, clearly not a scripted statement, which is perfectly Dan Christian—as you would expect, his end-of-cricket-life offering was full of practicality and introspection.
“I’ve achieved things and made memories I could only have dreamt of as a kid.”
That’s a kid from Narrandera, New South Wales, with Irish Catholic and Australian Indigenous Wiradjuri ancestry. A powerful formula.
On the Sixers chances, “hopefully we can go all the way this year, but regardless, it’s been a great run.”
It would be imprudent and irresponsible to bet against the perfect ending.
The onerous repeatability of training was now cited as a burden—Christian was regarded as a range-rat in his pomp, or a net-rat in cricket terms. His appetite for training and hard work was only matched by his willingness to celebrate wins.
Christian is also ready to abandon the well-worn phrase "Sorry, I've got cricket" when informing friends he won't be able to spend time with them. He appears ready to take on the world wearing a different hat.
For me, though, the burning question will be, "Was Dan Christian a cricket mercenary?"
Actually, reading that back, "mercenary" sounds like too strong a word to start with. Perhaps opportunistic, a soldier of fortune, or simply a gun-for-hire? That’s the Australian version of "gun"—which equals "elite player."
Whichever way you look at it, your initial thought could be in the affirmative.
Nineteen clubs/franchises is a lot by any standards. Personally, I came to my own conclusion without too much consternation.
But before we continue with that, I thought it would be useful to speak with someone who knew Dan Christian from the inside.
Tim "Ludes" Ludeman was a teammate of Christian at the SACA (South Australian Cricket Association).
I asked Ludes about Christian's "red ball" form before the "white ball" dominance took hold.
"He was very effective batting aggressively in the six position, constantly in the face of bowlers, and his bowling style lent itself to reverse swing and a two-length strategy later in the bowling innings."
Ludeman, a wicketkeeper whose hands were like those of a surgeon, would often be up to the stumps when Christian was mixing in his cutters and off-speed deliveries.
I went on to ask if the SACA had any success at this time, wanting to establish when Christian’s taste for titles began. "We won the T20 State Title in 2010-11."
This year was the precursor to the BBL starting in 2011–12.
And Ludes added, "We also won the State One Day Cup in 2011-12." Christian was present on both occasions. I pressed Ludes on Christian as a teammate: "He’s a ripper, loved a beer, was very social and ultra-competitive; he lived for the contest in all formats."
So what made Christian so successful in the T20 space?
"His natural ball-striking always lent itself to a position down the order, specialising as a short-impact batter."
Ludes recites an innings against a full-strength New South Wales attack at North Sydney the day before an IPL (Indian Premier League) auction.
"Out of nowhere, he made 80 odd from 35 balls from memory, whacking them to all parts and taking Doug Bollinger down in the process."
Perfect timing for Christian, as he was taken in the auction for around $900,000—his first gig in the IPL.
I did ask Ludes if there were any dark stories he might want to share. Following a long pause, Ludes summed it up perfectly.
"The beauty about DC is that what you see is what you get."
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Mercenary, opportunistic, a soldier of fortune, or simply a gun-for-hire?
A resounding "NO" from me.
I believe Dan Christian simply went where there was game. As one door was politely pushed shut, another one opened, and he was grateful for the chance to compete and test his skills.
If he were a tournament golfer, my guess is he would play the Monday competition at his local club after winning a PGA Tour event the day before. He’s just a gamer! As Ludes said, "constantly in the opposition's face."
Mercenaries are not always preoccupied with winning; the doing can look like a chore, all roads leading to the dollar.
For Christian, it remains about team success. BBL12 has seen him bowl just seven overs and face a total of 64 balls, yet he remains focused on the end game—winning a title.
He currently has nine across the globe, and as we have said previously, who would bet against a tenth?
Another quality that isn't typically associated with mercenaries is the ability to fight. Christian has this in spades. There's always been the swaggering gait and tilted-back head stance, which give the impression that he's looking down on what's in front of him. Dan Christian is a brawler, in the nicest possible sense.
If he were Canadian, he would have been a hockey player. If he was raised on the wrong side of the tracks in Philadelphia, there’s no doubt it would have been boxing. If he had been born a Kiwi, rugby would have given cricket a run for its money.
Christian acknowledges these traits in his comments:
"Probably most of my career I've spent trying to prove people wrong; it's something I've always been motivated by, along with winning competitions and playing at the next level."
He’s a driven underdog. A very dangerous combination.
Implying Christian is both equally motivated and determined and has shown resounding resilience and strong work ethics throughout his career.
Concluding, I asked a Sydney Sixers teammate to try and sum up Dan Christian in a single sentence. Pretty tough assignment, I know!
That player is 17 years Christian’s junior. This is what the right arm off spinner came back with:
“Consistent, match winner, unbelievable belief in his ability to impact games. Calming influence on teammates, instills belief in everyone. A stand up guy, you know he has it. Ultra successful.”
A pretty decent wrap from T Murphy!
For me, concluding, I’m converted. I no longer bear any scepticism on Dan Christian’s integrity, nor should I have. He is a genuine stand up guy, who will leave the cricket world in a better place.
As always, I appreciate you being here.
