Albie dreams of RWC
Veteran all-rounder wants to represent South Africa at T20 World Cup next year in India
DESPITE a performance that earned him the Man of the Match award in the second T20 International against India last week, Albie Morkel knows that all of a sudden he’s not the first choice for the South African team.
“I know for a fact that Dave (Wiese) is still No 1, he’s been in that seat for the last year; it was very unfortunate for him to get injured because he’s done well in the T20 games he’s played for SA,” Morkel said yesterday.
Morkel was the beneficiary of the misfortune that befell Wiese a week before South Africa’s T20 side left for India.
His Titans teammate broke his hand in a local T20 tournament held in Centurion, which opened the door for Morkel to get another shot at international cricket. “I never thought ‘ jissie I might be able to tour’, until I got the call a few days later saying I have to fly to India on Monday … it was a helluva surprise. If you read the papers, I’m not part of the plans … but I think it counted in my favour that I had nothing to lose.”
Having gotten a surprise call-up, Morkel wasn’t sure he’d play a game but before the second match in Cuttack he was told he’d be in the starting team. “For me to get another opportunity – once I knew I was going to play – it took a bit of time to decide how to react, simply because it had been an emotional roller-coaster leading up to it. But once I got my mind around to it I knew I wanted to put in a sold performance.”
Far from solid, Morkel delivered an exceptional performance with the ball, claiming 3/12 including the key wicket of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “My T20 bowling record is decent and it doesn’t suggest that I’m a part-timer. The challenge in the past was to find a definite role where you can fit me in, with so many guys bowling.”
That role was clearer in Cuttack, where Morkel was the fifth bowler who depended on his vast experience gained in India as part of the Indian Premier League to knock the stuffing out of the home team’s lower order.
Having played such an influential role in what skipper Faf du Plessis described as one of the best performances by a South African team in the T20 format, Morkel justifiably is eyeing a spot in the World T20 tournament next March. “Any guy playing would be stupid if they did not want to go to a World Cup. From my point of view, I am not going to say I have to be or should be in that side, I’ll take it day by day and if it happens that I get selected come the T20 World Cup then fantastic.
“I’ve reached most things I’ve wanted to achieve in my career except for – and that goes for any South African cricketer – winning that World Cup. I’ve had five opportunities in T20 World Cups and that’s still something that would be awesome.”
In the short term his focus will be on his domestic side the Unlimited Titans, who he captains in the two limited overs formats.
“The decision for me to lead the Titans in white-ball cricket, has made a difference in how I approach things. It’s given me a lot of energy domestically.
“I don’t play cricket anymore to prove people wrong, if I did that, then I’m doing it for the wrong reason.”
Morkel was back at the Titans training yesterday and will lead them in two important fixtures this weekend against the Cape Cobras in Cape Town on Friday and the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers on Sunday.