Harris linked to Indian league

Chris Harris could be the latest former international to join the Indian Cricket League, with reports from New Zealand that the allrounder has already reached an agreement with the group. However, his domestic side Canterbury and the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association (NZCPA) were doubtful that Harris had made a decision.

A number of news sources said this week that Harris would be joined in the ICL by Chris Cairns and Nathan Astle, with a fourth unnamed player also set to follow their lead. The reports said Harris had rejected a new deal with Canterbury and would further boost the league's list of international players that includes Brian Lara, Lance Klusener, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf.

But Heath Mills, the manager of the NZCPA, told the Dominion Post no New Zealand players had made agreements with the ICL. "I'd definitely know if Harry had signed," Mills said. "The ICL have approached a number of our players, but I'm not aware of any who have signed."

The chief executive of Canterbury Cricket, Richard Reid, was also unconvinced by the reports. "I don't know whether he's signed or not," Reid said. "I would presume that he would tell me if he had. Neither Dave Nosworthy [the Canterbury coach] nor I know that he's signed."

Harris, 37, has not played for New Zealand since 2004-05 but has remained a first-rate contributor in domestic fixtures. Last season he was Canterbury's top one-day run-scorer with 362 at 60.33 and chipped in with nine wickets, while also averaging 42.80 in a solid first-class campaign.

He was outstanding in the State Twenty20 competition, where he led the competition's tally with 237 runs from five games at a strike-rate of 160 and claimed seven wickets with an economy rate of 6.45. The only man to make a State Twenty20 century last summer, Harris was included in New Zealand's preliminary 30-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship but was cut from the final line-up.

Cairns and Astle, both of whom have retired from first-class cricket, have been mentioned for some time as potential ICL recruits but they have not confirmed the rumours. Stephen Fleming has also declined to publicly comment on the speculation that he would join the group.