Morris first pick for the Qalanders
Ken Borland
Chris Morris did not believe all the people saying he would be a prime pick in the T20 Global League draft in Cape Town yesterday, but the explosive Proteas all-rounder was the first player chosen as the Durban Qalandars used their luck in winning the lottery for first pick by grabbing the 30-year-old IPL star.
“It’s very humbling. There was a lot of chat last night about it and I’m maybe the only person surprised to have been chosen first. It’s always nice to be high up on the list and I’m just happy to be part of this prestigious tournament. And I’m happy to be in Durban because domestically I’ve done quite well there,” Morris said after he was the first player to be picked in the premier $135 000 band.
Fast bowler Dane Paterson was a surprise choice in the first round of the draft by the Bloemfontein City Blazers, while the other players chosen as key signings were Dale Steyn (Cape Town Knight Riders), Alex Hales (Stellenbosch Monarchs), Colin Ingram (Joburg Giants), Morne Morkel (Pretoria Mavericks), Albie Morkel (Benoni Zalmi) and Jon-Jon Smuts (Nelson Mandela Bay Stars).
Aiden Markram, the 22-yearold opening batsman, was able to celebrate getting the best price for a rookie as the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars chose him in the second round on a hefty $115 000 contract, but Cameron Delport, Simon Harmer, Richard Levi, Umar Gul, Marchant de Lange, Hardus Viljoen and Shahid Afridi were not picked.
The Benoni Zalmi, coached by Graeme Smith, marked themselves out as a team with dangerous all-rounders and tremendous bowling options, with signings like Albie Morkel, David Wiese, Wahab Riaz, Eddie Leie and Lungi Ngidi, but they also chose Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman who has been accused of making “frivolous accusations” over his dropping from the national squad.
The Joburg Giants will back up the batting prowess of Brendon McCullum and Ingram with a bowling attack that is as strong as a Test line-up – Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah and Andile Phehlukwayo.