The Delhi Daredevils might not have qualified for the playoffs, but the individuals can look back at this edition with positive vibes. The first half of the IPL belonged to the Daredevils, as they played an aggressive and fascinating brand of cricket. A key reason behind Delhi’s success was the form of all-rounder Chris Morris. Morris had an outstanding edition, where he put up some unbelievable performances with the bat as well as the ball.
In his exclusive interview with Cricbuzz, Morris opened up on the Daredevils’ campaign, and fully praised veteran Indian pacer Zaheer Khan for his astute leadership. Below, are the excerpts from his interview.
On Zaheer Khan’s captaincy:
It’s quite refreshing to have a bowling captain. The way he conducts himself, around players and how he conducts himself around fans and on the field. There is a reason why he is one of the legends of the game in India. He’s got a million wickets for a reason. And what I do enjoy about Zak being the leader is his appreciation for players. He wants the players to be happy. And it is vital for us, as long as the players are happy.
He’s been brilliant on the field, out-of-the-box thing, very unorthodox field but absolutely excellent. There was this game against RCB, and this player, Kedar Jhadav, I didn’t know what field to set for him. I’ve hardly played against him, David Wiese I know, so I got that. That’s when Zaheer said to leave it up to me and it worked. The way his mind works is brilliant. It is one of the most unorthodox, bizarre fields I had to deal with that he has been setting for us, but it seems to work. You can’t complain as a player then. He’s been phenomenal. I’m always going to back him up.
It makes a lot of sense to have a bowler like him, yeah. It is a positive for us to have him as our captain. Like I keep saying, there is a reason he has got so many wickets. Whatever he says, I am going to follow.
On the importance of playing in IPL:
IPL cricket is quite important. I wouldn’t say it helps you get into the international team because you don’t get selected for what you do in IPL. But it is very important. It’s the cricket that you learn here that is vital to your experiences in your future career. You learn a lot in India. As I keep saying, it is not just about what you learn at the crease, but also what you learn off the field here. I believe it doesn’t matter how much you’re being paid, it is always an opportunity to go and learn about what happens in India during the IPL. I think what you learn during IPL in India holds you in good stead for the future.
On his relationship with Rahul Dravid and Paddy Upton:
Having them around has been invaluable for me. Especially their outlook on cricket. For me, the nicest thing is that what I like about them is that I am not just growing as a cricketer, I am also growing as a person. You can learn so much from people off the field, you know, which is outstanding for me. If I can be just one percent better, if there is just something that I can learn that makes me even one percent better, then I’ve used this stint well.