"The All-Rounder", the new biography of Wiradjuri man Dan Christian, will give readers a rare insight into the life of a cricketing gun for hire.
One of the most sought after white ball cricketers in the world, his story has been captured by respected sports author Gideon Haigh
"Gideon Haigh got in touch with me early in 2021 with the idea that it was going to be an IPL (Indian Premier League) diary at the beginning," Christian told NITV News.
"And then with all the difficulties with COVID and competition being stopped, we decided to go the full 12 months and make it into a full year’s diary."
The book details how an Aboriginal boy from country New South Wales rose to be regarded as among the best exemplars of the modern T20 game.
It's a cricketing world full of glitz and glamour, where the best white ball players are assembled and paid extremely well for their services.
"I’m spending so much time with Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and these guys around the world and being able to play in these brilliant competitions," Christian said.
"At the time I’m just there playing, trying to do as well as I can, trying to help my team win the competition.
"But one of the great things about having it all written down now is I can go back and reflect on it."
A star Big Bash attraction at the Sydney Sixers, Christian’s also a global force.
He's played for teams in India, Pakistan, South Africa and the Caribbean after first class and international opportunities appeared to be drying up.
"In a poorer time in Australian cricket, Dan would have played a lot more international cricket," Haigh said.
"In some ways the best cricket that he’s played has been since he left the first class game and became a T20 specialist.
Christian (L) and Gideon Haigh with a bat adorned with the artwork of Indigenous artist Emma MacNeill, used to promote the sport to First Nations people. Source: NITV
"He's also unusual in having so much success he’s played in 9 titles around the world. He can sort of walk into a dressing room and that extra few per cent that can often be the difference between success and failure in T20."
There’s still a few wickets and runs left in Dan Christian yet.
"I hope I’ve got a couple of years in me left, I’ve definitely got one more year left of Big Bash and yeah we’ll see how we go I guess. The body still feels good I’m still enjoying my cricket."
It's an incredible story, with more chapters to come.
