Morkel: that’s a tough group to qualify from

Looking for its first major title since victory at the ICC Champions Trophy in Dhaka in 1998, South Africa has made a bright start to this year’s World Twenty. Starting well, however, has never been the problem. It has found the knockout stages of global events hard to navigate, and find itself in a tight Super Eights pool that includes Australia, India, the 2007 champion, and most likely Pakistan, the 2009 winner.   “That’s a tough group,” admitted Albie Morkel, the all-rounder, before a training session on Tuesday afternoon. “India has played some fantastic cricket, Pakistan is playing great cricket. Australia came up with some big performances. I think it will be a very tough group to qualify from.    “We have been playing in Hambantota. It looks like the wickets here are slower, and take a bit of turn. Our preparations are certainly going to be different from what we had in Hambantota where the wicket was a bit quicker, almost home conditions for us. We’ll focus on those scenarios. We are likely to face spinners in the Power Play and more of spin throughout the middle overs.”   Given the strength of the top order, Morkel has been a bit of a floater, often coming in with a few overs left and expected to get on with it straightaway. “You are obviously a bit nervous,” he said. “You try and simulate that in training - I know you can’t really train the same as in matches and with teams, but you ask the net bowlers and set a target of ten off six and then try to get there. When you get there, it’s obviously very satisfying, and when you don’t, you know you have given your best. “It’s really in 50-over games where you want specific roles. T20 cricket is fine because the impact you make could be in two or three balls, it doesn’t have to be 30 or 40 balls.”