Why Chris Morris must go to the CWC

THE COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY defines X-factor as follows: “An unknown or unexplained element that makes something more interesting or valuable.”

And because the ‘element’ is unknown or unexplained, it also makes everyone wary. South Africa got burned by Wayne Parnell’s ‘X-factor’ in 2015. He played just once, conceded 85 runs at the MCG against India and was not seen again in that tournament. Chris Morris is this year’s Wayne Parnell. He bowls fast, can catch flies, is athletic and aware in the outfield and he hits the ball a mile. But like Parnell, the good days are too often outweighed by bad ones. If his bad days were less bad, Morris would probably have been confirmed for the World Cup already. But his bad days are truly terrifying and Faf du Plessis and Ottis Gibson demand a far greater measure of control and consistency. Hence they’re willing to rely on Anrich Nortje, even though his batting and fielding aren’t as good as Morris’. And yet it’s because of those wild fluctuations in form that Morris just feels like he could be a difference maker in England.

Morris has the ability to swing a match in an over or with a spell. And he has shown his ‘finishing’ qualities with the bat for the Titans on a number of occasions and most memorably for the Proteas in as intense a game as one can get in a bilateral series; he smashed 62 off 38 balls in the fourth ODI at the Wanderers in 2016 against England to square the five match series. Morris may not be a ‘starter’ to begin with at the World Cup, but he’s the type of player you’d like to have in your back pocket.

Given the entire package, it’d be nice to have him in England, because you just never know.