Everyone! Morne Morkel is actually getting a Game! Hooorayyyyyyyyyyy!
Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Morné Morkel is raring to go in the second edition of the Indian Premier League.
Part Five
It was almost the perfect game yesterday. We batted well up front and we got the runs on the board. And then we bowled well. It was quite a good pitch we played on. It was nice to see Graeme [Smith] getting in the runs. I always knew he was due for runs. And it was nice to see that partnership up front as well.
They had been struggling in the past six or seven games. Luckily it came off yesterday. It was a case of tweaking the opening pair. Getting the right combination up front, but we knew it was just a matter of time. We put in all the hard work and mixed it up at training and we knew it was just around the corner. We played well. We have two back-to-back wins now, so we can definitely carry that momentum into Thursday’s game against Bangalore.
It is suddenly working out perfectly. It looks like I am going to get a game on Thursday, which is going to be great. I am looking forward to it. It is now just a matter of keeping calm. There are going to be a lot of pressure situations over the next couple of games and the team who can keep themselves composed and keep calm in the field and win the vital moments will do well. That’s going to be crucial.
Off the field, I am mates with Rob Quiney, an Australian guy and Shane Harwood - he is a really cool guy. We are actually playing golf today. So I spend a lot of time with them. I also hang out with Dimitri Mascarenhas and Shane Warne and then all the Indian okes. We have a great team spirit. We try to do things with eachother. Last night we went to the movies. We actually haven’t had a lot of time to do things. The schedule is pretty hectic.
This is the first afternoon that we have had some time off to do things, besides training or travelling. We are in Johannesburg at the moment. We play Thursday and then we are off to Kimberley and Bloemfontein for a couple of weeks. It’s quite busy, but I can’t complain. I am really enjoying it.
We have been doing a lot of mental stuff with Jeremy Snape. He just helps us with a game plan and heading up goals. Training is normal training. We have nets. Warney likes to keep it short and sharpe. We only do an hour or an hour and a half. There is no stuffing around. Warney is quite strict on that. We keep the intensity high in the nets. Normal nets just batting and bowling.
Warney gives unbelievable team talks. I wish that I could actually video tape all of them and then listen to them all over again. He is just an unbelievable leader. He has his way of doing things, but it is something new and we are really enjoying it.