SPORTS EDGE

Cricket
'Crank up the pace'
Afp, London

South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel has promised to 'crank up' his pace during the upcoming Test series with England.The Proteas play the first of a four-match series starting at Lord's on Thursday with the 6ft 6in Morkel set to feature after sharp spells in warm-up matches against both Somerset and Middlesex.In last weekend's match, the 23-year-old needed just six balls to dismiss Andrew Strauss and afterwards the Middlesex and England opener compared Morkel's pace and bounce to that of former Test spearhead Stephen Harmison.And Morkel was adamant there was more to come once the serious business of the tour got underway."When everything is feeling 100 per cent and my rhythm is nice, I'll definitely be trying to crank it up," he said.Morkel, fit after a hamstring injury cut short his stay with English county Yorkshire feels he is mentally and physically close to his best after returning to the international stage during South Africa's drawn series in India earlier this year."The break has helped me," he said. "India was a stressful time, my comeback series after I got injured in Pakistan (last year)."I was mentally a bit drained -- but I'm a different man now."The ball is coming out quite nicely and it's nice to see the batsmen jumping around a bit. Come Thursday, it will be the England batsmen who are in my sights. I can't wait."Harmison may have been dropped from England's Test side following a loss of form but he remains an inspiration for Morkel who, in common with the Durham quick, does not believe in giving opposing batsmen too many 'verbals'."When I was growing up I used to idolise guys like Glenn McGrath, and later on when Steve came on the scene, I also saw myself as bowling like Steve," he said. "I see myself as similar and have watched a lot of tapes of him."Whereas South African quick Andre Nel is never short of a word for his opponents, Morkel takes the opposite approach. "I use my energy behind the ball rather than to verbally abuse the batsman."Morkel's methods have impressed experienced wicketkeeper Mark Boucher who has been behind the stumps when South Africa fast bowling greats Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock have been leading the attack."I was standing with the slips, bowling with the wind, and the ball is taking off from a length," Boucher said. "I turned around to Graeme (Smith, the South Africa captain) and said 'thank goodness he's in my side, and I don't have to face him'."
One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka's drainage capability. PHOTO: STAR
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