Morne Morkel scalped four wickets in the Lord’s test. (Source: AP)
Veteran South African bowler Morne Morkel has said that he might consider playing only one format of cricket to prolong his career. This was after he admitted that his career is nearing its final stretch. Incidentally, Morkel hinted that might choose to play Test cricket instead of the shorter format, unlike his other teammates. While that might come as a surprise for many, Morkel has defended his decision and said that he feels mentally and physically strong and hence might play the longer format. When he was asked as to how long he will continue playing, Morkel said that it won’t be too long as age is catching up fast.
“For me, every time I get the ball, it’s about really enjoying the moment. In the past, I put myself under a lot of pressure, but I think those sort of days are gone. I know how quickly a career can change. And I’m not starting my career. My career’s nearly finished. So I am just enjoying the moment.”, Morkel said to ESPNcricinfo.
Commenting on his future he said, “I don’t know. After this tour we’ll see. I’ll speak with Cricket South Africa and see where they see me featuring,” he said. “I love playing for this team. But it’s not rocket science that they probably want to start looking, in white-ball cricket, at the 2019 World Cup. Am I going to part of those plans? If I can be around to help the younger guys find their feet, so be it. I’ll do that. For me the main focus is this tour and then we’ll go back and see how we go.”
Speaking about his fitness, Morkel said, “My conditioning’s been good over the years and I really look after my body,” he said. “Mentally and physically I feel strong. But the World Cup is two or three years down the line and those are decisions they need to make. If there’s a T20 league I can go and play in and improve my skills and put my name into the hat for other tournaments, then I need to make that opportunity count. But the Proteas and this environment come first. So I need to focus on that.”
