Albie Morkel: News

An all-rounder with a penchant for power hitting, South African cricketer Albie Morkel shot to fame when he scored a century against a touring West Indies side for his team Easterns in 2003-04, albeit being down with food poisoning. Beginning his first-class career in 1999 for Easterns, Morkel excelled as a bowler in his earlier seasons. However, playing his first season for Titans in 2004-05, Morkel showed improvement in his batting form. He made his international debut in an ODI in 2004 against New Zealand. In 2005, he made his T20I debut as well. Although Morkel's early performances in ODIs were nothing but average, South Africa's tour to Australia in 2008-09 saw him producing match-winning performances. He was named the Man of the Series in South Africa's first-ever ODI series win in Australia. In 2009, he played his only Test against Australia. An aggressive batsman by nature with impressive strike rates in all three formats of the game, Morkel became a regular in T20 leagues around the world. In the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL), he became one of the most expensive players after being picked by Chennai Super Kings.