Morkel sees IPL as stepping stone to permanent place in SA squad – Cricket News Update
South African all-rounder http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JA-Morkel-c1613 has expressed the hope that his Indian Premier League performances will enable him to secure a permanent place in the national squad.
“I am sure they are keeping a close watch on my performance. The IPL is in world space and every one watches it,” he said. “It is tough cricket. You have fantastic mix of Indian and foreign players. Sometimes it is tougher than international cricket with
so much travelling involved.”
After mediocre performances in the first three matches, the South African cricketer stepped in to help his team out of a tight spot during the Chennai Super Kings' recent match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
With 43 runs needed off 12 balls, the Super Kings seemed all but defeated, when Morkel managed a spectacular 28 runs off a mere 7 deliveries. His outing included three sixes, two fours and a two, which left his side needing 15 runs off the last over, after
he was dismissed by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Vinay-Kumar-c2237. In addition to his batting performance, he also managed to claim a useful 2 for 37.
However, while his IPL career seems to be on an upward path, his status in the national team is fairly uncertain.
After making his international debut in 2004, the 30-year-old’s career currently spans 58 ODIs, but only one Test match. However, that could change if his recent performances in the 5th season of the IPL are taken into account.
The all-rounder went on to point out that he was not putting any pressure on himself, and just focusing on doing well for his franchise and his country. He added that he had been planning the upcoming season in such a way as to ensure that he remained in
form and ready for selection for South Africa’s upcoming tour of England (which is due to begin in July this year, and involves a 3-match Test series, 5 ODIs, and 3 T20s) as well as the World T20 in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, scheduled to take place in September.
“The next big thing is the Twenty20 World Cup. I have planned my winter in such a way that I am active till the tournament," he said. "Next I will be playing county cricket for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Somerset-c843 and hopefully will be selected for the England tour in July-August.”
Meanwhile, Morkel still has several chances to impress selectors as the IPL continues to gain momentum. The Chennai Super Kings will be playing their next match against the Pune http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Symonds-c44611 Sahara Stadium in Pune.
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