Surrey have lost the services of former Proteas speedster Morne Morkel after the seamer decided against a fourth season at the English county.
Central to Morkel’s decision was the travel restrictions enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
KOLPAK CONTRACTS AN ADDED COMPLICATION
Morkel, 36, missed much of the 2020 season, partly due to being stuck in Sydney as the virus took hold.
Upon arriving in England he was able to make just one appearance against Hampshire before being ruled out for the rest of the season after ankle surgery.
The upcoming 2021 campaign also presented the added complication of all Kolpak contracts being cancelled due to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.
Morkel would have had to sign up as an overseas player to be eligible to remain.
“Unfortunately, the time has come to move onto a new chapter,” said Morkel.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine requirements has made travel challenging and it is no longer feasible to spend large amounts of time away from home and my family.
“Surrey will forever be in my heart and I wish the team all the best for the coming season and beyond. I’ll be watching and supporting from afar.”
Morkel played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs and 44 T20Is for the Proteas, taking a total of 544 wickets across all three formats before retiring in early 2018.
