CAPE TOWN – If you are an ardent supporter of the Delhi Capitals, and a keen observer of the Indian Premier League (IPL), then Chris Morris would be lining up at The Oval for the Proteas against the hosts, England, on May 30.
But unfortunately, we have seen over the years that Morris has been unable to replicate his splendid IPL form for the national team.
Despite debuting at the Champions Trophy back in 2013 already, the 31-year-old all-rounder still only averages 19.65 with the bat and a bloated 40.42 with the ball across 34 ODI’s. There will always be those who point to the X-factor that he possesses, but I prefer to call that inconsistency.
It was the same with Wayne Parnell.
Chris Morris has been unable to replicate his splendid IPL form to that of the national team. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
They simply cannot string two matches together, and that is crucial, particularly with the format of this World Cup returning to a league phase. South Africa went with Parnell ahead of the more dependable Ryan McLaren to the last World Cup, and that plan backfired tremendously. This time the selectors have to choose between Morris and the reliable Dwaine Pretorius.
The latter has certainly answered every question posed to him over the course of the summer and would be a worthy selection. A major factor counting against Morris, too, is the fact that he has been injury prone over the past couple of seasons and there is a real fear that he may break down over the course of the six-week tournament.
“The biggest problem for Morris is his fitness,” Proteas coach Ottis Gibson has said in the past. “Not in terms of general fitness, but in terms of staying on the park. In the last three years he has had a lot of injury issues, more so than cricketing issues.”