Albie Morkel

Albie Morkel

Albie Morkel, a right-arm fast-medium bowler and left-handed batsman, was earmarked as the new Lance Klusener, but hasn't quite been able to live up to his billing despite some glimpses of match-winning skills.

Morkel comes from a cricketing family, with father Albert having played for Transvaal B and his brother Morne having also played for South Africa. He rose to prominence playing for his provincial side Easterns against the touring West Indians in 2003-04 when he defied food poisoning to score a century and take five wickets at Benoni.

Ray Jennings, his provincial coach and a former South African wicketkeeper, predicted that Morkel would become a world-class allrounder, and Morkel was given his first taste of international action when picked for the tour of New Zealand in 2003-04. However, his early career brought only a glimpse of his talent and he always looked a perfect Twenty20 cricketer.

He made his Test debut for South Africa against Australia in the third Test in Cape Town in March 2009, replacing his brother who was dropped for the game, but his place in South Africa's one-day line-up has now started to look more uncertain after a run of unconvincing form.