Proteas all-rounder is living his dream
Chris Morris holds the world record for the most economical figures in T20 cricket when he returned 2/2 for the Lions against the Cape Cobras at the Wanderers in 2014.
|||Johannesburg - Despite fetching a hefty price tag of 1M US dollars (approx R15.6M) in the IPL auction for the Delhi Daredevils, Proteas allrounder Chris Morris still yearns to improve his game.
Morris, who holds the world record for the most economical figures in T20 cricket when he returned 2/2 for the Lions against the Cape Cobras at the Wanderers in 2014, has become a skilled death-bowler to add to his explosive batting down the order.
“I've got a dream and I'm following it. I've got ambitions in the game that I want to achieve and the only way I'm going to achieve those is if I'm better than the rest,” Morris told Times of India in an interview.
“I'm not saying that I'm better than the rest, but I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing as well as I know I can and keep pushing for the spots that I want to play in. My ambition is to play a lot of cricket for my country and definitely if I'm going to do that it's by being better than the other guys.”
Morris is especially motivated to perform after missing the 2015 IPL with an ankle injury.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, there has been a spate of injuries that have given me a gap to play, and I might not have done as well as I should have internationally, but you live and you learn every game of cricket that you play. You've got to be mentally tough in general as a cricketer, especially as a bowler. You've got have that thick skin, especially when you're bowling at the death, those yorkers ... you've got to accept that sometimes it's not going to work for you and you're going to get smacked. The thicker your skin, the easier it is for you to accept and determine how you come back from it. Mental toughness is a big part of me.”
As for being highly-rated in T20 cricket, Morris said he would use that as motivation to perform.
“It's very humbling. I don't think you ever realise the impact it has on your life until a couple of years later, but it's very humbling to know that people rate me so highly in terms for a guy who hasn't played that much international cricket.
“It's an awesome feeling to know that people want you to play for their team and that they're not scared to bet for you. I'm very, very grateful for the opportunity, especially in the cricketing part. Financially, no one can replace what it's done because its life-changing, no matter who you are. But the cricketing experience is so valuable to my life. Meeting new players, playing with new players, new coaching staff, new franchises ... the IPL is so valuable to my life. I get to mingle with some of my heroes, and some of the best in the world. For a young cricketer or a cricketer in the middle of his career, that is incredibly valuable. I'll cherish this for the rest of my life.” - African News Agency (ANA)