Sport24.co.za | Morkel foresees more Saffas signing Kolpak deals
Cape Town – Former Proteas bowler Morne Morkel believes that there will be more South African cricketers opting for Kolpak contracts in the near future.
Morkel’s prediction came following this week’s surprising announcement of fast bowler Duanne Olivier, who became the latest Protea player to leave the international stage.
Olivier signed a three-year Kolpak deal with English county club Yorkshire, much to the disappointment of Cricket South Africa (CSA).
READ: SA’s Kolpak XI: Would they beat Proteas?
Morkel, who retired from international cricket last year and signed a two-year Kolpak deal with Surrey, believes CSA need to take more action if they want to keep talented cricketers in the country.
“They have to sit down and come up with plans because they’re going to lose a lot of players in the near future and they need to protect against that,” Morkel told cricket.com.au.
Olivier’s contract is reportedly worth R2.7 million per season, and dwarfs the two-year R900 000 per season contract offered to the 26-year-old by CSA.
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Morkel suggested that CSA find various alternative roles for players seeking to move on or for those wanting to settle down.
“It’s harder for those guys who are in and out of the team. If the communication channels aren’t great and you’re not sure where you fit in, that’s where the biggest challenge comes in. Communication is the key in any business,” said Morkel.
“It’s never nice … it always paints a bad picture of cricket in South Africa. But that’s unfortunately part of our DNA and the struggles we have in South Africa.”