Morne Morkel calls IPL uniting force, says 'It broke differences between Australia & SA'

Former Protea cricketer Morne Morkel has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) helped dissolve differences between Australian, English, and South African players because it brought them together under one umbrella. Morkel, while speaking on YouTube channel The Grade Cricketer, said before IPL there was always a little bit of tension when South Africa played Australia or England, adding "the tournament broke all those differences". The former pacer then recalled one particular match against Australia, following which players from both teams hopped onto a bus and drove back to the hotel together. Morkel said it shows how the game holds the power to unite everyone. 

Morkel played for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, and Kolkata Knight Riders between 2009 to 2016. Morkel played 70 matches during his stint at the world's biggest cricketing league, where he picked up 77 wickets. The Protea won an IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir in 2014 and was the most successful bowler for the franchise. Morkel went on to play domestic leagues in Australia, where he represented Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat. Morkel even took permanent residency in Australia and played the 2020/21 Big Bash League for Brisbane as a local player. 

Morkel played cricket for South Africa between 2006 and 2018. He played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs for the African side since his international debut against India on December 26, 2006. The 36-year-old has 309 wickets in Test and 188 in the limited-overs cricket for South Africa, which he took at an average of 27.66 and 25.32 respectively. 

IPL 2021

As far as the IPL is concerned, the 14th edition of the tournament was postponed indefinitely this year due to rising COVID-19 cases in India. The BCCI suspended the league mid-way after a couple of players and support staff members tested positive for the disease while still inside the bio-safety bubbles created by the franchises. Keeping in mind the safety and security of all, the IPL governing council decided to postpone the tournament until further notice. Last week, the Indian board announced that the IPL 2021 has been moved to the UAE, where the remainder of the matches will be conducted between September and October. 

(Image Credit: PTI)