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| Morne Morkel | |
|---|---|
| Name | Morne Morkel |
| Country | South Africa |
| Fullname | Morne Morkel |
| Birth date | 6 October 1984 |
| Birth place | Klerksdorp, South Africa |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm fast |
| Role | Bowler |
| Internationalspan | 2006–2018 |
| Testdebutdate | 2 January |
| Testdebutyear | 2009 |
| Testdebutagainst | Australia |
| Lasttestdate | 27 November |
| Lasttestyear | 2014 |
| Lasttestagainst | India |
| Odidebutdate | 3 August |
| Odidebutyear | 2006 |
| Odidebutagainst | Australia |
| Lastodidate | 30 November |
| Lastodiyear | 2018 |
| Lastodiagainst | Zimbabwe |
| Club1 | Northerns |
| Club2 | Highveld Lions |
| Club3 | Durham |
| Club4 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Club5 | Punjab Kings |
Morne Morkel Morne Morkel is a South African former international cricketer noted for his pace bowling, representing South Africa across Test, One Day International, and Twenty20 formats. A product of Gauteng and North West cricket systems, Morkel's career included domestic stints with Highveld Lions, Durham, and Indian Premier League franchises such as Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. He retired from international cricket in 2018 and continued in county and franchise circuits before coaching and mentoring roles.
Born in Klerksdorp in Transvaal on 6 October 1984, he grew up in a family with a cricketing pedigree, linked to the Morkel family involved in South African sport alongside figures tied to Afrikaner culture and regional institutions. He attended local schools that competed in Cricket South Africa pathways and emerged through youth competitions that fed players into provincial teams like Gauteng cricket team and North West cricket team. Early mentors included provincial coaches who had associations with former internationals from Proteas coaching staff and club figures connected to Benoni Cricket Club and Klerksdorp sporting networks.
Morkel's domestic career began with Northerns cricket team and progressed to prominence with the Highveld Lions, where he played alongside teammates who represented South Africa in major series against Australia, England, and India. He signed for Durham in the County Championship and contributed to campaigns against sides like Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Lancashire County Cricket Club. In franchise cricket, he was drafted by Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and later by Punjab Kings competing with international stars such as Shane Warne, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, and Sunil Narine. He also featured in Big Bash League-linked scouting and county off-season tours that brought him into contact with Brendon McCullum, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, and AB de Villiers.
Morkel debuted for South Africa in One Day Internationals against Australia and cemented a Test debut against the same opposition. He formed a new-ball partnership with fellow fast bowlers like Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, and later Kagiso Rabada in series across venues including Lord's, The Oval, Eden Gardens, and WACA Ground. Notable series included tours to Australia, England, and home series versus India and New Zealand. He played in multiple ICC Cricket World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy squads and took match-winning hauls in ODIs and Tests, often dismissed leading batsmen from teams such as Ricky Ponting, Kevin Pietersen, Sachin Tendulkar, and Kumar Sangakkara. Injuries and workload management influenced selection alongside national selectors from Cricket South Africa and fitness staff who had worked with Proteas management.
A right-arm fast bowler standing 6 ft 5 in, Morkel extracted bounce and pace reminiscent of tall pacemen like Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose and operated with seam position akin to Glenn McGrath in accuracy and Wasim Akram in outward-swing at times. He delivered at speeds often exceeding 140 km/h and varied short-ball strategies comparable to those used by Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn. Statistical highlights include over 200 international wickets across formats, five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, and consistent economy and strike rates in ODIs and T20s that placed him among contemporaries such as James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah. His first-class record featured multiple seasons with high wicket tallies for Highveld Lions and Durham, while franchise statistics showed impact in match-defining overs in tournaments like the Indian Premier League and county competitions such as the Royal London One-Day Cup.
During his career he received selections to annual squads and accolades from Cricket South Africa and franchise awards from Durham and Kolkata Knight Riders. He was recognized in match-of-the-series honors against touring sides from England and India and included in provisional squads for ICC World Test Championship cycles and ICC Cricket World Cup campaigns. His contributions were acknowledged by media outlets covering cricket such as ESPNcricinfo, Sky Sports, BBC Sport, and specialist analysts with ties to former internationals like Michael Vaughan and Ian Botham.
Off the field he has ties to family members involved in South African sport and community initiatives in regions including Gauteng and North West. After international retirement he continued in county cricket, transitioned to mentoring younger fast bowlers associated with academies linked to Cricket South Africa and overseas programs tied to ECB pathways, and participated in coaching stints with franchises in tournaments where figures like Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting, and Darren Lehmann have coached. He has been involved in charity matches and alumni events alongside former teammates such as Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis and has engaged with media commentary on networks including SuperSport and Sky Sports.
Category:South African cricketers Category:1984 births Category:Living people