Chris Morris of the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants during the 2019 Mzansi Super League game between Nelson Mandela Bay Giants and Jozi Stars at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth on 10 November 2019 © Deryck Foster/BackpagePix
Free agent Morris is still available for Proteas selection
Chris Morris has made himself available for Proteas selection saying he hopes to be in the squad to tour Sri Lanka in June.
Chris Morris of the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants during the 2019 Mzansi Super League game between Nelson Mandela Bay Giants and Jozi Stars at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth on 10 November 2019 © Deryck Foster/BackpagePix
Allrounder Chris Morris has clarified his position when it comes to Proteas availability saying he is available if the team need him.
Morris did not have his Proteas contract renewed in 2019 and is also out of contract with the Titans. He last played in South Africa during the Mzansi Super League.
Morris has a big Bash
The 32-year-old helped the Sydney Thunder reach the Big Bash League playoffs. Morris took 22 wickets in 15 BBL matches for the Thunder but didn’t make much of an impact with the bat.Earlier this week Mark Boucher said that AB de Villiers, Morris and Imran Tahir had until 1 June to make themselves available for South Africa if they wanted to play in the T20 World Cup in October.
Proteas selection a priority in T20 World Cup year
Morris said that he hopes to be considered for the Proteas tours to Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. He will need to convince Boucher with his performances in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB dropped R20 million on Morris in the quest to end the star-laden side’s title drought.
The allrounder would need to force either Dwaine Pretorius or Andile Phehlukwayo out of the XI if he is to press for a place
“There is no reason that I wouldn’t want to play for South Africa,” Morris told Netwerk24.
“Hopefully it happens after the IPL this year, but I have never insisted on being selected.”
RCB could be Morris’ ticket to World Cup
The Royal Challengers begin their quest for IPL glory on 31 March when they meet the Kolkata Knight Riders at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The Proteas will play three T20Is in Sri Lanka and a further five in the Caribbean with the first two T20I matches against the West Indies taking place in the United States.
The fight for places
Morris has not played for South Africa since the 2019 Cricket World Cup with South Africa deploying Phehlukwayo and Pretorius as the allrounders of choice.
Pretorius was rested for the ODI series against Australia and will not make the trip to India with Phehlukwayo backed, and spin-bowling allrounder George Linde called up for the trip.
Morris appears eager to maximise the twilight of his career by prioritising T20 cricket, something that could be a great service to South Africa if he is kept around the Proteas squad.
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