"My playing days for South Africa are done, I am not one for announcing retirements" - Chris Morris
South African all-rounder Chris Morris has all but shut out any possible doors for his re-entry into the national side, mentioning to Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat that he might never again don the national jersey.
Speaking on the lines of recent unrest and friction between the South African players and the Cricket South Africa (CSA) board, Morris, who is managed by Global Cricket Management, said it had been more than a year since the last conversations around his spot on the national side came up for discussion.
"I had my discussions with whoever I needed to quite a while ago, I haven’t spoken to CSA since then. At the end of the day, how they treated Faf (du Plessis), Immi (Imran Tahir) or me is something they’ve to deal with, there is no way I can comment. I wasn’t a part of the negotiations, I haven’t been spoken to for a year, maybe longer than a year. So can’t really comment on what’s happening, a few stories are coming out, I know which one I can believe. It’s a touchy subject, there are so many different angles to it."
As for his playing career, Morris further added that he wishes to focus on domestic cricket, and a return to the South African national setup is nowhere on the horizon.
"My playing days for South Africa are done. I am not one for announcing things and officially retiring and all of that. They know where I stand, I know where I stand, but my days are done for CSA, I think they know that."
"That's not how I am" - Morris on announcing his retirement
Quizzed further about announcing his retirement from international cricket, Morris explained that he's content with his achievements, and there's no scope for change in his plans - at least in terms of a potential national team return.
"There hasn’t been an official retirement because that’s not how I am, but like I said, my international cricket days are done. I am focussing on domestic cricket and giving back to the team as much as I can. I was fortunate to represent South Africa in all 3 formats, I had an opportunity to represent my country."
"If you had asked me the same question a few months ago, I would have given you a longer answer but right now I am content with my life and my career."
Since making his T20I debut in 2012, followed by an ODI debut less than six months later and finally his Test bow in 2016, Morris has played 4 Tests, 42 ODIs and 23 T20Is for South Africa.
Check out yesterday's T20 World Cup match result here.
With the merry-go-round system cascading into frequent changes in captaincy and personnel swaps in the squad, South Africa might certainly rue the absence of the stability Morris offers.