Dirk Peter Nannes (born 16 May 1976) is an Australian-Dutch cricket commentator and former cricketer. A left-arm fast bowler from Melbourne, he is one of the few players to have represented two international teams, having played for both the Netherlands and Australia. He is best remembered as a Twenty20 specialist and as one of the earliest freelance cricketers, who turned out for fifteen teams or franchises across nine countries.
| Full name | Dirk Peter Nannes |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 May 1976 |
| Hometown | Melbourne, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian; Dutch (through parents) |
| Bowling | Left-arm fast |
| Top bowling speed | Approximately 150 km/h |
| First-class debut | Victoria, 2005–06 season |
| International teams | Netherlands, Australia |
| T20I record | 28 wickets in 17 matches |
| Last international match | October 2010 (Australia v Sri Lanka) |
| Other career | Cricket commentator; former freestyle skier |
Before turning to cricket, Nannes was a freestyle skier, competing in mogul events at two FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cups. He came to cricket relatively late, beginning in Victorian Premier Cricket before progressing to the state side.
Nannes made his first-class debut for Victoria during the 2005–06 season at the age of 29. He achieved moderate success in Australian domestic first-class and one-day cricket, which earned him a stint with the English county side Middlesex during the 2008 season. His final appearances for Victoria came in the 2010–11 season.
Holding Dutch citizenship through his parents, Nannes represented the Netherlands at the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, playing two Twenty20 Internationals. Later that year he made his One Day International and Twenty20 International debuts for Australia. His final international appearance was for Australia against Sri Lanka in October 2010. In all, he took 28 wickets in 17 T20Is.
Nannes found his greatest success in Twenty20 cricket and became a regular on the global franchise circuit. In Australia's Big Bash League, he played for the Melbourne Renegades and the Sydney Thunder. In the Indian Premier League, he turned out for the Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings. As of August 2014, he had taken close to 250 wickets in 200 Twenty20 matches, with only Lasith Malinga and Alfonso Thomas ahead of him in wickets taken in the format at that time.
Nannes is regarded as a pioneer of the freelance Twenty20 cricketer model, moving between domestic franchises around the world rather than being tied to a single national pathway. His dual representation of the Netherlands and Australia in 2009 also places him in a small group of cricketers to have played for more than one international side.