Morne Morkel to retire from international cricket after Australia series

[GotSpin]

I dunno man. A Test average of 28 as a bowler is pretty decent for the era in which he played. There have have been a lot of flat pitches and big scores in the last 10-15 years

Even Jimmy Anderson didn't average much less than that and he played most of his Tests in nice swingy English conditions which suited him perfectly

Perhaps its just perception, but I don't recall Morne just ripping through line ups etc

 

[Bolo]

No you're right. Morkel did what he did and did it as well as he could. Suggesting that he would have been more effective if he just decided to bowl fuller, or change his style, is just ignorant. If he tried to bowl fuller more often he may have just served up more long half volleys and gone for more runs.

But this is the internet and of course random posters who follow cricket know better than the players themselves how they should play lol

We may not know exactly why he couldn't/didn't bowl fuller. This doesn't make his unwillingness or inability to do so any less of a limitation.

This criticism of him is not unique to this forum. The commentators share this view, including Pollock, a better fast bowler than Morkel who actually played with him.

 

[Spark]

Perhaps its just perception, but I don't recall Morne just ripping through line ups etc

Yeah the stereotypical Morkel performance is an okay-but-not-amazing 4/80 or something like that.

 

[Top_Cat]

Morkel a slightly worse Gillespie, basically. There's always a role for those guys, as others have said noone would claim they enjoyed facing Morkel. And in concert with a genuine attack leader, that's potent. No hate, Morkel had a top career.

 

[SeamUp]

Andrew Samson
Most Test wickets with 7 or fewer 5-fors:
294 M Morkel (7 x 5I)
292 JH Kallis (5 x 5I)
259 J Garner (7 x 5I)
248 MJ Hoggard (7 x 5I)
235 GS Sobers (6 x 5I)

 

[harsh.ag]

Andrew Samson
Most Test wickets with 7 or fewer 5-fors:
294 M Morkel (7 x 5I)
292 JH Kallis (5 x 5I)
259 J Garner (7 x 5I)
248 MJ Hoggard (7 x 5I)
235 GS Sobers (6 x 5I)

Imagine how tough it was for Hoggard, having to take 5-fers in English conditions with the might of Harmison and Flintoff to share the spoils with.

 

[sunilz]

Imagine how tough it was for Hoggard, having to take 5-fers in English conditions with the might of Harmison and Flintoff to share the spoils with.

Don't know whether it is a serious post or sarcasm. . But Flintoff has only 3 5fer.

 

[Stefan9]

I dunno man. A Test average of 28 as a bowler is pretty decent for the era in which he played. There have have been a lot of flat pitches and big scores in the last 10-15 years

Even Jimmy Anderson didn't average much less than that and he played most of his Tests in nice swingy English conditions which suited him perfectly

Maybe in general but when we are talking the South African team in context. All of Steyn,Philander and KG average 22's. Whether its fair or not that's who he will be compared against.

 

[the big bambino]

It is unfair though. Perhaps a little short of atg status, the variation of his style has complemented the other 3 and gave/gives the Saffer attack the options to be effective practically everywhere they play.

 

[Slifer]

Andrew Samson
Most Test wickets with 7 or fewer 5-fors:
294 M Morkel (7 x 5I)
292 JH Kallis (5 x 5I)
259 J Garner (7 x 5I)
248 MJ Hoggard (7 x 5I)
235 GS Sobers (6 x 5I)

Garner (an atg)looks so out of place among those trundlers but facing the competition for wickets that he did his few 5 fors is understandable.

 

[TheJediBrah]

It is unfair though. Perhaps a little short of atg status, the variation of his style has complemented the other 3 and gave/gives the Saffer attack the options to be effective practically everywhere they play.

When you consider how highly Jimmy Anderson is rated by a lot of people in comparison, despite having very similarly statistics, it is very unfair

 

[the big bambino]

Yeah I'd fear Morkel wherever he played but Anderson in certain conditions.

 

[Daemon]

In before "if you disregard the first part of his career Anderson averages 12"

 

[stephen]

Morkel is what you hope for in a change bowler. He's not an attack leader. Exactly like Gillespie (who is incredibly overrated and IMO flattered by his average). They always look as though they're better than they are because their length gets them beating the edge often without getting wickets.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yeah the stereotypical Morkel performance is an okay-but-not-amazing 4/80 or something like that.

Great back up to Steyn who was the destroyer though. A very dangerous partnership.

 

[Spark]

Great back up to Steyn who was the destroyer though. A very dangerous partnership.

Oh yeah for sure, he's a really great bowler especially when paired with Steyn and Philander as he gives you constant threat as well as a modicum of variety, but you can see where some of the disappointment (though that's probably too strong. Melancholy, maybe?) comes from given that people genuinely though he was the next Curtly Ambrose when he was young. Being a merely very good (ATVG even) bowler is nothing to be sneezed at though.

 

[Daemon]

Perhaps its just perception, but I don't recall Morne just ripping through line ups etc

Yeah the stereotypical Morkel performance is an okay-but-not-amazing 4/80 or something like that.

dudes come on

This record suggests that while Morkel had more control he wasn't a match winner on his own.

Morkel rarely picked up bags of wickets, even when he was bowling serious heat. More of a 3/80 kinda guy regardless of how well or poorly he was bowling.

In the future please read every single post on the forum before posting

 

[FBU]

Morkel is what you hope for in a change bowler. He's not an attack leader. Exactly like Gillespie (who is incredibly overrated and IMO flattered by his average). They always look as though they're better than they are because their length gets them beating the edge often without getting wickets.

I think he missed opening the bowling with Steyn, 25.75 6 5fers. First change 31.31 1 5fer.

Percentage of left-handers
Morkel 38.7%
Philander 33.1%
Steyn 29.5%

 

[Dendarii]

I think he missed opening the bowling with Steyn, 25.75 6 5fers. First change 31.31 1 5fer.

That's because there weren't too many times that there were five wickets left after Steyn and Philander had had a go...

 

[vic_orthdox]

Oh yeah for sure, he's a really great bowler especially when paired with Steyn and Philander as he gives you constant threat as well as a modicum of variety, but you can see where some of the disappointment (though that's probably too strong. Melancholy, maybe?) comes from given that people genuinely though he was the next Curtly Ambrose when he was young. Being a merely very good (ATVG even) bowler is nothing to be sneezed at though.

Some guys end up standing up when they get a chance to lead the attack, a la Brett Lee. I wouldn't be surprised if Morkel would have stood up well in the situation where he was left as the main man.

Sometimes your role is to provide contrast and support - you've got a gun there, you don't want your third quick "chasing" wickets as much. Flintoff did this really well in combine with guys who pitched it up and swung it more; might have hurt his overall figures but it helped make the whole attack more effective. Think for a lot of time, that's what Morkel helped provide.