IPL is an important part of a cricketer’s career: Chris Morris

In spite of not being the heavily built, South African all-rounder Chris Morris has been regularly touching speeds in excess of 145 Kph in the IPL and has emerged as the fastest bowler this season. Morris has been in superb form and contributed well to his franchise Delhi Daredevils. However, the right arm fast bowler candidly says that the he doesn’t believe in the speed gun’s reading, calling them ‘bogus’. He also cited that it’s because of his whippy action that he can produce such great amount of pace.

“Speed guns are bogus. That is my honest opinion. Speed guns are not correct. They are not 100 per cent accurate. So, I don’t know. My personal opinion is that I am not a 150 kph bowler. I am 145 max. I think my rhythm has got a lot to do with it.”

“I have always been slimly built. It is all in the genes. It is about my action, I have quite a whippy action, can get away with the pace. It is not all about the muscles. Mitchell Starc is a prime example. He is quite a thin, skinny guy and bowls fast. You don’t have to be hefty to bowl fast. It has to do with the action.”

Fast bowling is a strenuous job. A fast bowler is by default prone to injuries. Morris explains why.

“You can never predict an injury. All you can do is prevent an injury, he says. “Fast bowling is the most unnatural thing a human body can do. You can never fully prevent an injury. You can only try your best. Unfortunately, injuries do happen and are a part of sport.”

Morris, who has been a late bloomer in international cricket, also spoke about the challenges in international cricket. The 29-year-old made his Test debut earlier this year.

“I am not really looking to make a mark in international cricket. I am not the guy set out to break records. I am a guy who wants to play cricket for my country for as long as I can and enjoy it a lot. I am not really big on making a mark. It is my dream to play for my country. I am very fortunate that I can. I have been given an opportunity to play cricket all around the world and do what I love. For me, it is about enjoying and living my dream”

Chris Morris is a proven match-winner, especially with the bat. He has pulled off a couple of stunning victories for South Africa and almost won the game for DD with that 32-ball 82 not out against Gujarat Lions couple of weeks ago. When asked how seriously he takes his batting, he says, “Very seriously.”

“ There was always potential to be a batter. But, batting obviously took a backseat because I needed to be a bowler to make it to my franchise side. The last 12 months have been a lot of hard work, I have been working hard on my batting, hitting a lot of balls, work on my technique and work on my hitting zone. I have put in a lot of hard yards. It has not been fun at times. Sometimes it pays off. I am taking my batting seriously and hope to be getting runs. I want to be a genuine all-rounder.”

He also spoke about his IPL experience. He feels that IPL has been an important part of a cricketer’s career and a great learning experience

“IPL is an important part of a cricketer’s career. It is a lot about experience. I genuinely believe, and I mean it, that you come to India to mingle with the world’s best players and the world’s ex-best players. You don’t just learn as a cricketer but you learn about the game and learn what it takes to be a cricketer. It is a big experience to be a part of the IPL and make some great mates.”

Morris also admitted that eventually his goal is to play as much Test cricket as possible for his country.

“I want to play as much Test cricket as I can. It has been my dream since I was young to pay Test cricket. That’s what I have always wanted to do. Just to represent my country, that is massive. It is always an honour to play for South Africa with all the history that comes behind and all the players that have played. For me to pitch in for my country is unbelievable”

“To play as much as I can for my country, that is what I strive to do. It is a difficult team to crack into. If it takes another five years to play another game for my country, I will be happy. I don’t mind biding my time to be able to play there.”

He also had a very sensible reply when asked about how can a bowler stop the likes of Virat Kohli.

“Virat is a serious player. He is going through a serious purple patch and the scariest thing for me is I can see Virat can only get better. The guy looks like he has got his game sorted out in every single aspect. To combat Virat, if I had an answer to that, I will be making a lot more money (laughs). He is a serious player, he is riding it beautifully. Virat is in the best form and to get 800-plus runs in IPL is a serious record, it is going to be tough to get him out.”