Harris joins ICL; Cairns, Astle to follow: Report

CHRISTCHURCH, August 22: Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Harris has joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and two of his ex-team-mates, Chris Carins and Nathan Astle, would soon follow him, media reports claimed on Wednesday.
According to NZTV, Harris, the Kiwi One-day specialist, has turned down a new provincial contract from Canterbury, the side he led last season, to become the first New Zealander to jump to the ICL bandwagon.
A veteran of 23 Tests and 250 ODIs, Harris has been an important member of the New Zealand ODI team because of his consistency with the bat, useful medium pace and brilliant fielding. He has also shone in the State Twenty20 competition, scoring the lone century in the tournament.
His former team-mates Astle and Cairns have already quit first class cricket but could be back in action soon at the ICL.
Astle played 81 Tests and 223 ODIs and earned his stripes as a reliable opener before stunning his fans by quitting international cricket barely six weeks before the Word Cup.
Cairns, on the other hand, played 62 Tests and 215 ODIs and before he hung up his cricket boots last year, he had established his credentials as a premier all-rounder of his era, even though nagging injuries plagued his career at various points of time.