Morne Morkel Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Morne Morkel is a former South African cricketer who played with distinction, as a genuine pace bowler, in all 3 formats of the game for his country. At the peak of his powers, he was renowned for generating steepling bounce at a rapid pace from an awkward length which used to trouble international batsmen of the highest caliber. Despite regular injury setbacks throughout his career, Morne served South Africa in 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, and captured a combined 544 international wickets. After announcing his international retirement in February 2018, he joined the English county team, Surrey, on a Kolpak contract. He has also represented franchises such as Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL (Indian Premier League).

Born Name

Morne Morkel

Nick Name

Morras, Haydos, Lobster

Sun Sign

Libra

Born Place

Vereeniging, Gauteng Province, South Africa

Residence

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Nationality

Education

Morne completed his high school graduation from Hoërskool Vereeniging.

Occupation

Cricketer

Family

• Father – Albert Morkel (Former South African First-Class Cricketer)
• Mother – Mariana Morkel
• Siblings – Johannes Albertus “Albie” Morkel (Older Brother) (Former International Cricketer), Malan Morkel (Older Brother) (Former Cricketer)
• Others – Marthmari Morkel (née Groenewald) (Sister-in-Law), Albertus Johannes “AJ” Morkel (Nephew), Cara Morkel (Niece)

Batting

Left-Handed

Bowling

Right-Arm Fast

Role

Bowler

Jersey Number

65 – ODI, T20I, IPL

Build

Athletic

Height

6 ft 5 in or 195.5 cm

Weight

95 kg or 209.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Morne has dated  –

1. Roz Kelly (2012–Present) – Morne first met Australian sports journalist and TV presenter Roz Kelly during South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2012. They began dating soon after and Morne proposed to her in October 2013. They got married in December 2014 and have 2 sons together – Arias Flynn Morkel (b. 2015) and Leo Morkel (b. 2018).

Race / Ethnicity

White

He is of Dutch descent and belongs to the Afrikaner ethnic group.

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Blue

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Lanky frame
• Short-cropped hair
• Affable smile

Shoe Size

12 (UK) or 13 (US) or 46 (EU)

Morne Morkel Favorite Things

• Sports – Cricket, Golf
• Golfing Event – The annual Masters Tournament in Augusta
• Golf Courses – Cape Kidnappers in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand; The Belfry in the English Midlands; Stellenbosch Golf Club, Pearl Valley, and Leopard Creek (all in South Africa)
• Hobbies/Interests – Watching Movies, Going on Wildlife Safaris, Cooking
• Food – Pasta
• Pace Bowler – Glenn McGrath

Source – Compleat Golfer, ABP, SportsKeeda

Morne Morkel Facts

1. Morne’s first-class debut came at the age of 19 when he played for Easterns (South African domestic team) against the touring West Indies. It was hardly the stuff of dreams though, as he sent down 17 no-balls in a 5-over spell that cost his side 54 runs.
2. In his 2nd ODI game, for Africa XI against Asia XI, he opened the bowling with his older brother Albie which made them the first pair of brothers to do so in the history of ODI cricket.
3. During the inaugural World T20 tournament in 2007, which was held in South Africa, he bowled a match-winning spell of 4/17 against New Zealand. In his final over, he clean bowled another batsman but was denied the wicket and a consequent 5-wicket haul due to an incorrect no-ball decision by the umpire. As the T20 format was in its nascent stage at that time, this would have been the first 5-wicket haul ever in a T20 international match, had the umpire made the correct decision.
4. In 2012, he was named in the ‘ODI XI of the Year’ by both the ICC (International Cricket Council) and ESPN Cricinfo. He was also named in the ‘Team of the Tournament’ by the ICC after the 2015 World Cup, where he was South Africa’s leading wicket-taker.
5. In the 2012 IPL, Morne picked up 25 wickets for the Delhi Daredevils in 16 games and won the ‘Purple Cap’ award for the feat. He was the first South African to earn that honor. He was also the most successful fast bowler for Kolkata Knight Riders in their 2014 IPL title run, the franchise’s 2nd IPL triumph.
6. In June 2023, Morne was announced as the bowling coach of the Pakistan national cricket team. In November 2023, it was revealed that he had decided to resign as Pakistan’s bowling coach.

Featured Image by YellowMonkey/Blnguyen / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0