Morne Morkel to retire from international fold
Feb 27, 2018 at 12:24 PM
South African lanky fast bowler Morne Morkel has dropped a bombshell during the press conference on Monday (February 26). Before the impending four-match series against Australia, the 33-year-old pacer focused on his future.
Owing to the broad frame, Morkel believes he made one of the toughest decisions in the Proteas fold.
In the latest development, Morkel announced to retire from the top-flight cricket. However, the Test series will be beginning from March 1 at Kingsmead in Durban.
Interestingly, Morkel believes it is the best time to set the horizon for the plans.
“It was an extremely tough decision but I feel the time is right to start a new chapter,” Morkel told media.
So much so, Morkel revealed he wants to spend the time with his family while reiterating the international fixtures has added a lot of pressure during his career.
“I’ve a young family and foreign wife. The demanding international schedule has put a lot of strain on us,” Morkel said.
Morne Morkel and his International cricket for the Proteas:
The experienced campaigner concurrently in the Proteas fold has played 117 One-day Internationals, 83 Tests, and 44 Twenty20 Internationals. Across formats, he shared 529 scalps.
Known for bending his back to create more opportunities, Morkel somewhat stated his priority is to take care of his family while believing it would have more on offer.
“I have to put them first and this decision will only benefit us going forward,” Morke stated.
Morkel, who has cherished to don the national jersey while stating there is plenty of cricket left in him. He is somewhat expecting to feature in the league cricket to manage his time for the family.
“I still feel there is a lot of cricket left in me and I am excited for what lies ahead,” Morkel ADDED.
Morkel is just six wickets away to complete the 300-mark figure. He has bagged 294 wickets at an average of 28.08.
Morkel has also thanked his teammates, Cricket South Africa and his close ones for instilling confidence among him during the barren patch.
“I have loved every minute that I have played in the Proteas jersey, and I am incredibly grateful to my teammates, Cricket South Africa, and my family and friends for the support over the years,” Morkel concludes.
Concurrently, Morkel has set his aim to win the series for the Proteas against Australia which holds an imperious record on the South African soil.
BREAKING: Morne Morkel has announced that the #SAvAUS series will be his last in international cricket pic.twitter.com/NnQAyKt5Hq
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 26, 2018