JOIN US'My father is my biggest inspiration'
South African international cricketer Chris Morris thinks it is important to keep a positive attitude at all times. Chris Morris, who is playing in the Delhi Daredevils team this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), feels it doesn’t pay to get stuck in failures and disappointments.
The charming cricketer will be celebrating his birthday on April 30. Chris Morris speaks to Nina C George about his experiments with cooking, why his family means the world to him and what keeps him going.
Who is your inspiration?
My father William Morris is my biggest inspiration. He was a cricketer too and retired in 1991 when I was 5 years old. As a child, I would regularly go to his matches and now he comes and watches me play, whenever he can. He is the one person I turn to for advice when I get stuck with anything related to
cricket and otherwise.
How has your father influenced you?
I am fortunate to have grown up watching him play cricket and he has literally mentored me in the field. My father has been my biggest critic and it’s always constructive criticism.
He never tries to convey his thoughts through any harsh means. He talks tough but effectively gets his point across. My family’s love and support has been invaluable to me.
Has your life changed after marriage?
Not much. Lisa and I dated for 3 years before we got married. She’s an athlete, who has specialised in the 800-metre run. She totally understands my hectic schedule. I must say more than me choosing her, she chose me. We miss each other when I am travelling but that’s when technology comes to the rescue. We Skype every day.
We hear you are a good cook...
Oh yes, I cook a lot. It’s a South African thing that men cook the meat and women make the salads. I cook really well. I make some pretty good ‘chicken pasta’, ‘lamb chops’ and barbecue. This is what I cook for all my friends and teammates who come home.
How do you find time to cook amidst your hectic schedule? What was the beginning like?
My mother inspired me to cook and that’s how I learnt everything that goes on in the kitchen.
The TV room was very close to the kitchen, so as a young boy, I would run to the kitchen, just to watch my mother cook and ask her a lot of questions. These were my first lessons and now the MasterChef shows have made things a lot easier. I pick a lot of recipes from that.
Do you get some time to travel around the country during the IPL?
Not much but the last time we were in Vizag, a few of my teammates and I went surfing. We have very tight schedules and it is quite difficult to work around it.