IPL a great opportunity to prove a point: Morkel
abu dhabi — South African quick Morne Morkel is hoping for a good showing when he turns out for his new team—the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the seventh edition of the IPL and said that it would be a great opportunity to prove a point to people back home.
Morkel, who was picked up by the Shahrukh Khan-owned franchise at the 2014 IPL Player auction after spending two seasons with the Delhi Daredevils, didn’t get many opportunities to show his worth in the just concluded ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh. The 29-year-old started well against Australia but had a pretty average game against New Zealand, which led to him being relegated to carrying the drinks for the remaining fixtures. Morkel said that the break probably did him a lot of good heading into the IPL which begins in the UAE next week.
“I felt good going into the World Cup. I bowled well against Australia and I had one bad game against New Zealand, which happens in T20 cricket. After that, I wasn’t selected so, in my mind, I’m quite mentally fresh and strong to play. That’s why it is a saving grace that I’m playing for KKR. That would be nice for me to prove a point for back home. So, I’m excited about it,” Morkel said during KKR’s practice session at the Shaikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium’s Oval 1 on Friday morning.
And Morkel, who joined the Rajasthan Royals in 2009 and spent three season there was pleased to be with his new teammates. “We have got a very strong group and quality players and also a good leader in (Gautam) Gambhir. For me, they are the best cricketers around in international cricket. So, I’m very excited to go on to the field and put on the KKR jersey,” he said.
Despite changing teams, Morkel there would be no lack in motivation. “I think it is part of any profession. KKR bought me in the auction and for me, it is great to be part of the setup and I have to give everything for that. So, I think you don’t need mo- tivation for that. For me, I’m coming here to be part of this great team. It is a special honour. They have won the IPL before and then to come into that culture, for me, is fantastic. So, I think the day you don’t have motivation is the day you need to retire from this game. So, for me, walking on to the field and playing with these guys, I can’t wait,” said Morkel.
And an added bonus would be the presence of one of South Africa’s greats Jacques Kallis and Morkel said that it would benefit not just him but also some of the younger players in the squad.
“That is going to be massive. Jacques (Kallis) is the best cricketer to have ever played the game and I still learn and train with him and he is the ultimate professional. I think for the younger players, it is going to be great to learn on how he goes about training,” said the 29-year-old.