Christo Buchner

Johannesburg – The South African team felt under pressure going into the World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies and there was never a great vibe in the team, according to Albie Morkel.

“It was a frustrating tournament for us,” Morkel said on Monday.

“Prior to the tournament one got the impression that everyone felt the pressure as we had not won a major tournament in 12 years. The older players, in particular, were taking it badly as they knew time was running out to win a big tournament.

“We continuously make the same mistakes and Graeme Smith (captain) emphasised that we could not afford it.

“It was bad when we dropped out of the tournament. Everybody was irritated because we knew we let ourselves and the supporters down.

“The guys stayed in their rooms for about a day trying to deal with the situation. Corrie van Zyl (coach) called us in individually and harsh words were spoken.

“What I like and appreciate about him is that he’s not afraid to have his say. He made you understand that you have to do things his way to be part of the plans going forward.

“He has strong Christian values and is a good person who only wants the best for South African cricket. He’s a hard worker and expects the same of all his players.”

The all-rounder, who is one of few players that can hold his head high after the tournament, said he got the impression that Van Zyl and Smith got on well.

He also says that the players support Smith as captain, in spite of all the criticism he’s had to endure.

“He’s a good leader and does his homework thoroughly. But tough decisions have to be taken to bring in new blood,” said Morkel.

“Someone like Mark Boucher should not summarily be written off as competition may just get the best out of him again.”

He admits it was frustrating to sit on the sidelines and wait for batting opportunities while the overs were running out.

“It was decided beforehand that I would bat at No 7 and with wickets only falling late in the innings, there was not much time for me to bat.”