Advertisement

Morne Morkel on why the IPL should stay in the UAE

Kolkata Knight Riders bowler Morne Morkel has given the UAE a glowing endorsement as a cricketing destination and said he would "definitely" support a future Indian Premier League franchise from the country.

The Emirates is in the midst of staging 20 matches of the current IPL season and has earned widespread praise from fans and officials alike after a sell-out opening week.

Morkel is no stranger to the country having previously toured with South Africa and has talked up the possibility of the UAE playing a bigger role in the IPL in the future.

"It's fantastic to bring the game to Abu Dhabi and Dubai and the fans have been fantastic so far," said Morkel in an exclusive interview with Yahoo Maktoob Sports.

"For me cricket is my life and my passion and I think that [an IPL franchise in the UAE] would be great for the game and cricket in Dubai."

Morkel was speaking after he and his Kolkata team-mates had paid a surprise visit to a group of young cricketers from the ICC Global Cricket Academy on Tuesday afternoon.

Led by captain Gautam Gambhir, Kolkata made the dreams of the 35 children come true with a once-in-a-lifetime meet and greet session.

Morkel and his fellow South African Jacques Kallis were among the Kolkata squad to gatecrash the youngsters' game of beach cricket.

Not that the children were complaining, though, as they rubbed shoulders with their heroes, jostling for signatures, photos and some cricketing tips.

Despite the searing heat, Morkel also took time out to enjoy a bat and bowl with the group of talented youngsters much to their delight.

Morkel's Kolkata side have enjoyed a solid start to their IPL 7 campaign, winning one and losing the other of their opening two games, and are back in action on Thursday when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah.

"We've only played two games but the experience and atmosphere has been brilliant, but I knew that from previous tours with South Africa.

"It is always great to come here and I always get excited about playing in Dubai."

RELATED: Full match schedule as the IPL comes to the UAE

Dubai Calendar, the Emirates’ one-stop resource for details on all events taking place in the city, is the go-to destination for all information regarding IPL. For more information, visit Dubai Calendar at www.dubaicalendar.ae.