Daily Times

CAPE TOWN: South Africa allrounder Chris Morris has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. While declaring his decision to hang his boots after a 12-year career, the 34-year-old Morris also said that he would be taking up a coaching role with South African domestic side Titans. “Thanks to all who have played a part in my journey whether it be big or small…it’s been a fun ride!,” Morris’ instagram caption read on Tuesday. Morris last represented South Africa during the 2019 ODI World Cup, a tournament where he was South Africa’s highest wicket-taker. He turned out for his country 69 times across the three formats, taking 94 wickets in all. A bowling allrounder who often sent the speedgun beyond 140kph, Morris was also a hard-hitting lower-order batter. Morris made his international debut in a T20I in December 2012, and an ODI debut followed next year, in June 2013. He had to wait for his Test debut though, finally earning the first of his four Test caps in January 2016.

Morris’ all-round skills meant he was in high demand in T20 leagues earning high paychecks, particularly in IPL auctions. He had played only one T20I when Chennai Super Kings bid $US625,000 for him, more than 31 times his base price of $US20,000. In the IPL 2016 auction, Delhi Daredevils bought him for INR 7 crore (approx $US1.04 million). Then in the IPL 2020 auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore bid INR 10 crore for him (approx $US1.4 million). Finally, in the IPL 2021 auction, Rajasthan Royals broke the bank for him in bidding INR 16.25 crore for him (approx $US 2.24 million). The Royals bid in 2021 made Morris the most expensive player to go under the hammer in IPL auctions to date, although he wasn’t the highest paid player, with Virat Kohli being paid INR 17 crore by the Royal Challengers in IPLs 2018 to 2021.

Morris’ Test career lasted only four matches, where he took 12 wickets at an average of 38.25. His Test debut against England also provided his highest Test score of 69. In ODIs, Morris played 42 matches and took 48 wickets at an average of 36.58 and an economy rate of 5.56. His batting average of 20.30 perhaps did not reflect his skills as a batter, but his strike-rate of 100.43 showed his abilities to be a gamechanger with the bat.

However, Morris leaves his greatest legacy in the shortest format. He played 234 T20s, including 23 for South Africa between 2012 and 2019. In all T20s, he took 290 wickets at an average of 22.21 and economy of 7.78, while with the bat finished with a strike-rate of 150.04. Morris has played cricket all around the world, apart from his time spent with Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, North West, Lions and the Titans at home. In England, he played for Surrey and Hampshire, in West Indies for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Sydney Thunder in Australia.