Morne Morkel: The Gentle Giant bids adieu
In a Test which was known for everything but cricket, Morne Morkel quietly went about his business. As he dismissed Josh Hazlewood to complete a comprehensive victory for South Africa at the Newlands in Cape Town, he achieved an extremely well-deserved five-fer in the innings, and nine wickets in the entire match.
However, instead of getting credit for his best ever match figures in his 12-year international career, it was the ugly ball-tampering scandal which grabbed the limelight and the headlines in the papers the next day. Unfortunately, that has been Morne Morkel's career in a nutshell.
Overlooked, overshadowed, and underrated as hell, Morkel never let the lack of attention get to him as he went about his job with aplomb.
Now, as he walks away from international cricket, the tall and lanky pacer is surely going to leave a massive void in the South African side.
When we think of the best fast bowlers the world has seen over the years, one of the first things which come to our mind is their aggressive nature on the field. When we think of a Dale Steyn or a Mitchell Starc, we are reminded of the deathly stare-downs to the batsmen or the on-field controversies and arguments they have been involved in with the opposition players.
However, Morne was different. Standing at 1.96 metres, hitting the deck hard, and generating pace of above 140 kmph, it was this bowling style of his which intimidated the batsmen, rather than him having to resort to other practices.
"For me it is not really about bowling a ball and being a nasty fast bowler. It is more about having a quick little stare at the batsman and having strong body language," said Morne in an exclusive interview with EspnCricinfo a couple of years ago.
The above quote by Morkel himself truly epitomises his attitude on the field, which made him one of the most respected bowlers in the world. It is probably this attitude of his which did not give him as much recognition as his counterpart Dale Steyn, who was as ferocious on the outside as he was on the field, however, Morkel always let the ball do the talking.
Morne Morkel made his debut in 2006 against India in Durban in a Test which South Africa won by 174 runs. His first wicket was that of MS Dhoni, was just beginning to make a name for himself around that time. Interestingly enough, he scored a total of 57 runs with the bat in the Test, remaining not out on 31 in the first innings, which ended up being his third highest score of all time.
Despite performing decently in that match, picking up three wickets, Morkel played his second Test only in 2008. He was a regular in the side from then on, however, he was forced out of a number of series and tournaments due to constant injuries he picked up over the course of his career. Injuries have been a part and parcel of every successful fast bowler's career, and Morne was no stranger to them. Despite missing a lot of important matches over the years, he produced a number of magical performances on the field when he did play.
The leading wicket-taker in South Africa's campaign in the inaugural World T20 in 2007 and the ICC World Cup in 2015, Morkel came up with the good when it mattered most. He picked up 9 wickets at 13.33 and an economy rate of 6.0 in the World T20 and picked up 17 wickets in 8 matches at the 2015 World Cup at an economy rate of just under 5.
He achieved a lot of success in his career with the ball as his numbers speak for himself. He always had a great time bowling against New Zealand, with an average of 23.21 against them and performed exceptionally well against India as well, with an average of 26 against them.
A bowling average of 34 against Australia is something he probably would have wanted to improve upon, however, he ensured he signed off on a high with a total of 15 wickets against them in the recently concluded Test series which South Africa won 3-1.
A side-strain in the first innings of his final Test forced him out of action after bowling just 12 overs and picking up one wicket. Many feared that his Test career was done and dusted with once he walked off the field, however, he came back fighting in the second innings and picked up two wickets in the final few overs of the penultimate day to put Australia in a spot of bother.
He was a spectator on the field on the final day as Vernon Philander ripped through the rest of the batting line-up to complete a 492 run victory for the Proteas.
"Today, I'm saying goodbye to special players. There was no way I was sitting in the changing room. I am just happy I got through a couple of overs and got to enjoy the atmosphere for the last time. A special bunch of players - my brothers. I will miss them a lot. It's been an unbelievable journey," he said after
As he bid adieu to international cricket, there was no extravagant send-off for the 'Gentle Giant.' A guard of honour, a standing ovation, and a retirement token in the post-match ceremony. The comprehensive victory against their rivals and their first series win against them since re-admission was probably the best parting gift he could have asked for.