All-rounder Chris Morris felt ‘heartbroken’ for fast bowler Anrich Nortje, but is nevertheless grateful for his own late inclusion in South Africa’s squad for the 2019 World Cup.

Morris was left out of the original 15-man squad, but received a late call-up after Nortje was sidelined by injury – and will accompany fellow seaming all-rounders Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius to the global showpiece in the United Kingdom.

‘When I first heard the news I was heartbroken, because it’s never fun for a person to miss out on the World Cup because of a broken finger or injury,’ he was quoted as saying by the Sowetan.

‘It’s a blessing to be here, though, and not many people get the opportunity to go to a World Cup. My chance has come in a certain way and I have to make the most of it.

‘I had a honest conversation with the selectors in terms of where I sit with them in terms of the World Cup, because you think of that when you perform. There’s so much noise around World Cup selection, so I needed a bit of clarity.

‘The clarity was that I wasn’t in line for the World Cup and I was behind a couple of players. I could appreciate the honesty‚ I could appreciate where I was and I could understand, because the guys were doing a lot better than I was.’

The 32-year-old Morris averages under 20 with the bat and over 40 with the ball after 34 ODIs – and hasn’t played the intermediate format of the international game since February 2018.

‘This game tends to be quite simple, and when you overcomplicate it‚ that’s when the inconsistency creeps in,’ he added.

‘I have been inconsistent, and we can’t beat around the bush in regards to that one. My consistency has been lacking and I think it’s down to over-thinking. I think it’s something of the past now, and it’s amazing how much you can learn in a year. The only way one can fix inconsistency is to prove people wrong.’

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