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Morne Morkel retires from international cricket, joins Surrey [Post #56]

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Standard Bank Proteas fast bowler, Morne Morkel, has announced he will retire from all forms of international cricket at the conclusion of the four-match Sunfoil Test series against Australia starting in Durban on Thursday.

The 33-year-old has played 83 Tests, 117 One-Day Internationals and 44 T20 Internationals in a successful career spanning 12 years. He has taken 294 Test wickets - including seven five-fors - and is currently the fifth highest all-time wicket-taker for South Africa in Test matches. He has an impressive tally of 529 wickets across the three formats.

Explaining his decision, Morkel said: “It was an extremely tough decision but I feel the time is right to start a new chapter. I have a young family and a foreign wife, and the current demanding international schedule has put a lot of strain us. I have to put them first and this decision will only benefit us going forward.

“I have loved every minute that I have played in the Proteas jersey, and I am incredibly grateful to my team mates, Cricket South Africa, and my family and friends for the support over the years. I still feel there is a lot of cricket left in me and I am excited for what lies ahead. For now, all of my energy and focus is on helping the Proteas win the upcoming series against Australia.”

Cricket South Africa Acting CE, Thabang Moroe, praised Morkel’s commitment and contribution towards South African cricket: “On Behalf of Cricket South Africa, I would like to thank Morne for the tremendous and highly valued contribution he has made to South African cricket over the past decade.

“He has been a regular selection for both the Standard Bank Proteas Test and ODI squads since 2008, having made his debut as far back as 2006. He has formed part of the golden era of fast bowlers that have made the South African Test team a champion outfit that is respected throughout the world.

“Being a champion fast bowler is one of the most difficult professions in the sporting world. It requires tremendous skill, dedication and perseverance and, by no means the least, the courage to bowl through the pain barrier at times. Those are characteristics Morne has shown throughout his career.

“ Lastly, on behalf of the South African cricket family, our stakeholders and fans around the world, we thank Morne for being both a fine player and an outstanding role model who has made our country proud. We wish him everything of the best in his future endeavours
 
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Looks set for a Kolpak move. I won't be shocked even if Klaassen moves to Kolpak contract.
 
damn. Morkel too! :-(

this is a yearly outflow....

SA will be minnows soon.

People dont realize that beyond the national team how this impacts SA is that the quality of their domestic cricket is severely diluted.

The Afrikaners and whites also forego domestic cricket bringing level of the competition down. Also obv many young Saffers are turned off cricket due to this anyway
 
Slog said:
damn. Morkel too! :-(

this is a yearly outflow....

SA will be minnows soon.

People dont realize that beyond the national team how this impacts SA is that the quality of their domestic cricket is severely diluted.

The Afrikaners and whites also forego domestic cricket bringing level of the competition down. Also obv many young Saffers are turned off cricket due to this anyway
Click to expand...

Nope they don't leave cricket, They move to NZ, England and in some cases to Netherlands as well. At least half of their current U19 batch have already been signed by the counties. Even Markram was close to moving to NZ in 2015. Many black players are very average and when you have to play two of them in every much, It means that you are playing 9 players rather than 11
 
Pakistani top order batsmen will be doing bhangra as we speak.

Shame, always liked Morkel's effort and tenacity. Best wishes to him.
 
How weird is it to be a cricketer. Retiring from your profession when most people in your age group are still about starting with their.
 
Very good bowler in tests and even better in LOIs. He was an integral part of SA team. Best wishes to him for the future.
 
Morkel doesn't want to injure himself by playing in useless tests against Australia and saving himself for the real test that is IPL.
 
Dont troll lol..He is playing against Australia and then retiring..!
 
LastManstanding said:
Morkel doesn't want to injure himself by playing in useless tests against Australia and saving himself for the real test that is IPL.
Click to expand...
The level of some posters is just.. Did you even read the article. He said that for now "I am fully focused on winning the test series for proteas against Australia". Stop shaming yourself.
 
No Steyn and No Morkel now.

So SA bowling attack will be Rabada, old Philander and Ngidi? Not so scary anymore.
 
He had a very decent international career.Now he will play league and county cricket for 3-4 years before retiring permanently
 
34 is when msot fast bowlers retire so nothing wrong. Hats off to him for an amazing Test career.

SA attack still very potent. Rabada, the best bowler in the world, Ngidi, potentially even better than Rabada and Philander. Very good.
 
The end of a generation is nigh. I have a feeling if Amla fails this series, he will call it quits too. Anyway, the 2019 WC will possibly be the last we ever see of Amla, ABDV and Steyn.
 
Test cricket will soon be extinct, players don't care about playing this pathetic joke of sport
 
HE should have continued his ODI career till the 2019 WC, as ODI is his strong format.
 
Good bowler. He had a very good career as part of one of the greatest test teams of all time. He's thoroughly earned a nice farewell and I hope he gets one.

Is he retiring from ODIs as well? One would think he still wants to get a shot at winning a WC.
 
Shera said:
Nope I don't think so. Most of the Kolpakkers are not allowed to play in IPL due to the clash.
Click to expand...

Morne is not going Kolpak, He will shift to Australia where his wife works in Television, Morne will play IPL, BBL and other T20 leagues and spend more time with wife and later family.
 
ExpressPacer said:
34 is when msot fast bowlers retire so nothing wrong. Hats off to him for an amazing Test career.

SA attack still very potent. Rabada, the best bowler in the world, Ngidi, potentially even better than Rabada and Philander. Very good.
Click to expand...
Ngidi won’t even end up as half the bowler Rabada is now.
 
Slog said:
damn. Morkel too! :-(

this is a yearly outflow....

SA will be minnows soon.

People dont realize that beyond the national team how this impacts SA is that the quality of their domestic cricket is severely diluted.

The Afrikaners and whites also forego domestic cricket bringing level of the competition down. Also obv many young Saffers are turned off cricket due to this anyway
Click to expand...

What's to stop the blacks from producing world class players? They are majority of the country and naturally more athletic. They've already got the pacers down.
 
Shera said:
Nope they don't leave cricket, They move to NZ, England and in some cases to Netherlands as well. At least half of their current U19 batch have already been signed by the counties. Even Markram was close to moving to NZ in 2015. Many black players are very average and when you have to play two of them in every much, It means that you are playing 9 players rather than 11
Click to expand...

It's not just 2 black africans, but they have to play 6 players of "color" of which two must be black africans. This is shameful really.
 
Hopefully he will feature in PSL by next season. The way it is going, looks like Steyn's retirement is coming soon as well.
 
Reddy said:
Morne is not going Kolpak, He will shift to Australia where his wife works in Television, Morne will play IPL, BBL and other T20 leagues and spend more time with wife and later family.
Click to expand...

For that he needs to be picked up by Franchise. He was unsold
 
He probably had a year or two left at the top level anyway. Didn't realise he is going to be 34 this year. He has served South Africa well over the years and now deserves to be allowed to secure his financial future.
 
It's surprising this, he's a familiar face would have liked him to stay a little longer. Especially considering WC 2019 is next year, that would have been a good time to retire. I dont think hes that confident that SA have any chance of winning. However, family comes first, that I understand and relate too. Might see him in PSL 2019 for a short stint, that would be great!
 
Something is definately alarming in South African Cricket that so many players are opting for careers in England and away from the South African team. It just shows that Cricket South Africa needs to pump money into its national team.
 
I think he has had a decent career. He is doing this for his family and we need to respect that. SA bowling attack is not that bad for home conditions, they have Rabada and Phillander. Not very convinced with Ngidi yet. They need to find another fast bowler for tests.
 
He was an excellent ODI bowler but somehow never got out of Steyn and Philander's shadow in tests. Quite the irony huh? Still, a great career.
 
South Africa don't miss him much especially in tests. He was always a supporting bowler, never really stepped up. Philander, Rabada have overtaken him and regularly pick up fifers whereas when was the last time Morkel picked 5 wickets in an innings? Heck even the newbie Ngidi ripped through Indian lineup once taking 6 wickets. Morkel has always been erratic in test matches. An average of 28 over 80 matches with just seven 5-wicket hauls despite playing more than half no.of matches in SA testify that. But a very good bowler in ODIs, better than Steyn. He will do well in T20 leagues around the world. Which team is he playing for in the IPL this season?
 
Find this very odd, couldn't have imagined this before the WC. A great and underappreciated servant of South African cricket.
 
The same people who know nothing about South African cricket but got a lot to say.

So long as South Africa has the school system production line, nothing will ever change. The amount of talent at school level is frightening. We basically produce players for ourselves and England. Guys like Anrich Nortje, Dupavillon, Michael Cohen and young turks like Coetzee are still in the pipeline for fast bowling..People were basically talking rubbish saying guys like De Lange are mistreated because they are white yet history and time has proven you lot wrong. We will always produce world class players, always.


There's absolutely no way we'll go the Sri Lankan or West Indies route. A guy like Wiaan Mulder is on his way to become a household name in cricket. A batting allrounder that's been increasing his bowling pace recently. Morkel has been a wonderful servant but even he knows that there's always someone to replace you.
 
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A great servant of CSA, a true team man and one of the biggest inspiration for me... :salute

An ATG South African pacer, good luck and :thumbsup to him..
Looking forward to seeing him in PSL next year, he will probably sign a Kolpak for next 2-3 years
 
Good luck to the Big Morne. No tantrums, no sulking, 100% hostile. I'll miss this player.
 
He may not have been as skillful with the ball as Ishant Sharma but his mental fortitude is what made him a great player. He just kept coming at ya, kept hitting the deck hard at awkward lengths. His stats don't look that great but he often broke partnerships and got priced wickets for his team.

May you have a great life ahead Big Morne.

- Bhaijaan.
 
A top player who has had a great career on the whole. He is retiring at the right time and for the right reasons. I imagine that he will settle in Australia with his family as numerous prominent South Africans have done in the past. Wish him the best.
 
Was very surprised when I heard this. Was not expecting it at all. South Africa will miss him
 
Chief Destroyer said:
What's to stop the blacks from producing world class players? They are majority of the country and naturally more athletic. They've already got the pacers down.
Click to expand...

If SA utilizes the talent of its black population to the max, they will likely be even better than the great WI teams of the last century. However, that may not happen if SA becomes a failed country. Crime is off the charts and the political system is quite corrupt.
 
Chief Destroyer said:
What's to stop the blacks from producing world class players? They are majority of the country and naturally more athletic. They've already got the pacers down.
Click to expand...

The cricket board is run by rich and elite white folks, the quota system exists to prove they're not racist. However much of the development behind the cricketers on grassroot level goes to white kids. Without quota there wouldn't be more than 2 black players in SAF team.

I completely hate quota system but SAF has extreme racial inequality. As long as the country has a sizable white population, racial issues will exist. Colonialism is a curse that takes long time to heal
 
SOUTH African paceman Morne Morkel could be stranded on 297 Test wickets after he was dropped in stunning circumstances for the second Test against Australia in Port Elizabeth.

South African captain Faf du Plessis decided to instead turn to his wildcard Lungi Ngidi for the must-win showdown meaning Morkel now faces a nervous wait to find out whether his Test career has been brought to a premature end.

Australia won the toss and chose to bat.

It’s not quite over for Morkel just yet, and he is still a chance to at least get a farewell in the fourth Test in Johannesburg.

Morkel – married to Australian television presenter Roz Kelly – announced his retirement before the Australian series, as he plans to transition into the Twenty20 circuit and make his Big Bash League debut next summer.

However, Morkel is now in the hands of selectors after the Proteas reacted to his underwhelming performance in Durban.

Du Plessis has hinted that Morkel needed a rest after a heavy workload against India last month.

However, monster quick Ngidi made an explosive start to his Test career against India and if he bowls well Morkel may find it difficult to find a way back.

That combined with the fact Dale Steyn could be a contender for the Cape Town Test as he vies to return from injury.

Morkel is within arm’s reach of capping off his stellar Test career by joining the 300-wicket club, but needs three more scalps to get across the line.

However, it’s understood Morkel will come back into serious contention, if not for Cape Town then almost certainly for the last Test at the Wanderers where the ball is expected to sing.

South Africa will likely play four quicks for that Test.

Morkel is set to play in the Big Bash this summer with the Sydney Thunder, Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat all interested.

The 33-year-old is also interested in coaching and has done his certificates.

With plans to settle in Australia he could conceivably end up in the CA system.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...h/news-story/712ec7433d67722243a2c017ff38905b
 
South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel to join Surrey on Kolpak contract this summer

Morne Morkel, the South Africa Test bowler, is poised to join Surrey on a Kolpak contract this summer.

Morkel, who recently took his 300th Test wicket, will be a *significant boost to Surrey’s hopes of winning their first County *Championship title since 2002.

He is ranked the world’s sixth-best Test bowler and recorded match figures of nine for 110 in South Africa’s victory over Australia in the third Test, which ended last week. He is playing in the final Test of the series, which he has announced will be his last.

Morkel, 33, has suffered injury concerns, but his form remains *outstanding. Since the start of 2017, he has taken 65 Test wickets at 21.90 apiece, a haul that included 19 wickets in England last summer.

He will balance his county career with Surrey alongside playing in T20 leagues around the world.

Morkel is the latest South African international to join a county. A combination of the weak rand, transformation targets and fears that Brexit will prevent players from joining under the Kolpak ruling in the future have contributed to the exodus, which has prompted much anger in South Africa.

The circumstances of Morkel’s departure are different. He has cited family reasons as being *behind his retirement, and he has enjoyed a fine 11-year international career. He has also been open about his plans, in contrast to the *clandestine departures of some other players.

Yet Morkel will still be a *significant loss. He performed well in the Champions Trophy last year, and figured in South Africa plans for next year’s World Cup in England. The player once considered his long-term international replacement, Kyle Abbott, joined Hampshire on a Kolpak contract last year.

The addition of Morkel’s pace and bounce strengthens Surrey’s squad hugely and will help deal with the likelihood of the Curran brothers, Tom and Sam, being available for fewer games.

It is understood that Kolkata Knight Riders are in advanced *discussions with Tom about this season’s Indian Premier League, as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Starc. If he goes to the IPL, he would miss Surrey’s first four Championship games, and the start of their Royal London Cup *campaign. He has been identified by Kolkata for his prowess bowling at the end of the innings in T20.

Morkel is poised to end his *international career with the *satisfaction of helping South Africa to their first Test series victory at home to Australia since 1970.

After the suspensions of three players, including captain Steve Smith, for ball-tampering, an *under-strength Australia side have struggled in Johannesburg. After the end of day three, South Africa lead by 401 runs with seven second-innings wickets in hand, and are on course to win the four-match series 3-1.

Tim Paine, Australia’s acting Test captain – who is expected to get the job permanently – scored 62 in his first innings in the role, batting with a fractured thumb. Despite Paine’s resistance, Australia still conceded a first innings lead of 267.

South Africa may yet have to complete the job without Morkel, who suffered a side strain and had to stop bowling midway through his 13th over. It is unclear whether Morkel will be able to bowl in the remainder of the game, which may prove to be a concern for Surrey.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket...ler-morne-morkel-join-surrey-kolpak-contract/
 
Dark Magician said:
The same people who know nothing about South African cricket but got a lot to say.

So long as South Africa has the school system production line, nothing will ever change. The amount of talent at school level is frightening. We basically produce players for ourselves and England. Guys like Anrich Nortje, Dupavillon, Michael Cohen and young turks like Coetzee are still in the pipeline for fast bowling..People were basically talking rubbish saying guys like De Lange are mistreated because they are white yet history and time has proven you lot wrong. We will always produce world class players, always.


There's absolutely no way we'll go the Sri Lankan or West Indies route. A guy like Wiaan Mulder is on his way to become a household name in cricket. A batting allrounder that's been increasing his bowling pace recently. Morkel has been a wonderful servant but even he knows that there's always someone to replace you.
Click to expand...

Empty vessels are always the loudest.
One thing that is not taken into account is SA's ever growing black middle class sending their kids to these elite schools.
But let the vessels do what they do best.
 
SURREY COUNTY CRICKET CLUB ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE SIGNING OF FAST BOWLER MORNE MORKEL ON A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT.
The South African will be available for Surrey in all forms of the game as a Kolpak registered player until the end of the 2019 English season.

The 33-year-old enjoyed a glittering international career before retiring after his country’s recent Test series victory over Australia, playing 86 Test matches, 117 One-Day Internationals and 44 T20 Internationals.

Morkel took 309 wickets in the Test arena, helped South Africa to top the Test Championship for a total of 39 months between August 2012 and January 2016 and finished his career ranked seventh in the latest ICC bowling rankings.

Speaking after signing for the club, he said: “It is a real honour that Surrey have asked me to join their club after my retirement from international cricket.

“I’ve got fond memories of playing at The Kia Oval and am looking forward to settling into London with my family for the summer, making new friendships with teammates and hopefully great memories on and off the field.”

Director of Cricket Alec Stewart added: “Following his retirement from international cricket I am very pleased that Morne has signed for Surrey for at least the next two years.

“He has had an outstanding career with South Africa and is a player that will add enormous strength and experience to our squad. His appetite to continue playing and most importantly performing was very evident from our very first conversation.

“He sets exceedingly high standards for himself and for our young bowlers to have the opportunity to train and play alongside Morne can only help to develop their own games. We look forward to welcoming Morne and his family to the Kia Oval for the start of the season.”

Surrey begin their Specsavers County Championship campaign in less than two weeks and you can guarantee your place at every match this summer here.

https://www.kiaoval.com/main-news/morkel-joins-surrey-on-two-year-deal/
 
England should do whatever it takes to have him play for them at the World Cup next year. Would massively improve their chances !!
 
Nikhil_cric said:
England should do whatever it takes to have him play for them at the World Cup next year. Would massively improve their chances !!
Click to expand...

he would not betray SA like that plus there is a 4 year waiting period between playing for different test nations
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">4⃣ five-wicket hauls<br>5⃣0⃣ wickets<br>1⃣3⃣.9⃣4⃣ average<br><br>All in just 16 <a href="https://twitter.com/CountyChamp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CountyChamp</a> innings with the ball for <a href="https://twitter.com/mornemorkel65?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mornemorkel65</a> &#55357;&#56882;<br><br>READ &#55357;&#56560; <a href="https://t.co/WbNQWTUb3p">https://t.co/WbNQWTUb3p</a> <a href="https://t.co/yEKQl2AZYs">pic.twitter.com/yEKQl2AZYs</a></p>— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/surreycricket/status/1039953793121538048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Surrey have been handed a boost by the return to the UK of their South African fast bowler Morne Morkel.

Morkel has spent an extended winter in Sydney, where his wife is from. His ability to train outside has been limited, so Surrey will assess his readiness to return to action in the coming days.

Having lost to Essex on Tuesday, Surrey’s next game is on Saturday, against Hampshire, at Arundel.

Surrey were forced to dip into the loan market last week as they had six England players unavailable and a series of injuries among their fast bowlers. Of those, Jade Dernbach appears the closest to a return.

Coach Vikram Solanki said: “We need to assess the players who have played in this game [against Essex] and be smart, because we have plenty of cricket coming up.”

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/cr...e-morkel-returns-from-australia-a4522716.html
 
Former South Africa pacer joins Gambhir's staff as India's new bowling coach

The Proteas stalwart will be a part of Gautam Gambhir's newly formed coaching staff, beginning with the series against Bangladesh.

Morne Morkel has began his duties as the bowling coach of the India Men’s Team ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh.

The former Proteas star steps into roles previously held by Paras Mhambrey, who served as the bowling coach under Rahul Dravid's leadership, and Sairaj Bahutule, who acted as interim coach at the start of Gambhir's tenure on the Sri Lanka tour.

Morkel, who had a stellar 12-year career with South Africa from 2006 to 2018, played in 247 international matches across all formats, amassing an impressive 544 wickets.

Gambhir and Morkel have previously worked together for two years in the IPL with Lucknow Super Giants in 2022 and 2023. Prior to that, the duo played together at Kolkata Knight Riders when Gambhir was the captain.

Morkel also brings valuable international experience to the table, having recently served as the bowling coach for Pakistan, including during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

The upcoming home series against Bangladesh will be the first assignment for Morkel as India's bowling coach. India will welcome the Tigers for a two-match Test series followed by three T20Is.

The Test series is a crucial part of the World Test Championship cycle, where India currently lead the standings with a point percentage of 68.52, while Bangladesh are in the fourth place after a fantastic campaign against Pakistan.

The two-match Test series against Bangladesh begins on 19 September and will be followed by a three-match T20I series, starting 6 October.

ICC
 
"Didn't Even Go To My Wife...": Morne Morkel Reveals 1st Reaction After Bagging India Bowling Coach's Job

Following his appointment as the Indian men's team bowling coach, Morne Morkel spoke candidly about the heartfelt exchange he had with his father, expressing his emotions about the prestigious role. Morkel, who officially began his position on September 1, also shared his delight and sense of honor in joining head coach Gautam Gambhir's support staff, marking a major milestone in his coaching journey.

Morkel had an impressive 12-year career with South Africa from 2006 to 2018, featuring in 247 international matches across all formats, and taking 544 wickets.

His first assignment with the Indian team will be the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting on September 19 in Chennai. The Test series is a crucial part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, where India are on top of the standings, while Bangladesh are in the fourth place after a fantastic 2-0 series win in Pakistan.

“When I ended the call, I sat for about five minutes in the room reflecting on it and then I first phoned my dad,” Morkel said in a video posted by BCCI. “I didn't even go to my wife. You know, normally they say go to your wife first, but I spoke to my dad and I mean, being a cricket fan for years and knowing what was going to come up, this is quite a special moment for me.”

For him, the appointment is not just a professional achievement but a moment of shared pride with his family. “I enjoyed it for about 5 to 7 minutes to myself and then obviously shared with the family that this is an opportunity and potentially that might happen. I'm just so delighted that we eventually got things over the line, and I'm here,” Morkel said.

In starting his new role, Morkel emphasised the utmost importance of cultivating strong relationships within the team. Having competed against many Indian players and witnessing their skills in the IPL, he appreciates the chance to establish new friendships and connections.

“It is just important to connect well with the guys. I've played a lot against some of the players. I've seen and connected a little bit to some of the guys playing in the IPL and to now be in a camp, and to form friendships and to form relationships for me is very important,” Morkel added.

This appointment also marks a reunion for Morkel and Gambhir, who were teammates at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for three seasons of the IPL. Their previous collaboration in the coaching staff of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons further solidified their professional rapport, setting a strong foundation for their work together in the Indian team.

Before joining the Indian coaching setup, Morkel had a notable stint with Pakistan during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he worked closely with captain Babar Azam. His departure from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was earlier than expected, but his next journey with the Indian team began shortly after, showcasing his dedication and adaptability in the coaching realm.

NDTV
 
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