Albie Morkel thanks Dhoni for support

Johannesburg:

South African all-rounder Albie Morkel has thanked India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for inquiring about him after he was excluded from the side for the five-match one-day series against the visitors.

Dhoni inquired about Morkel, after the national selection panel led by former South Africa opener Andrew Hudson, gave the boot to the all-rounder.

"It was a great honour to hear that a player of (Dhoni's) calibre had good things to say about me, but I don't think the selectors will change their minds now," Morkel said.

"Naturally it was disappointing not to make the team, because it's now reasonably clear that it's the end of my dream of representing South Africa in the World Cup," the all-rounder was quoted as saying by Beeld.

Having played in 51 One-Day Internationals and 31 T20 matches, Morkel is still one of the most sought-after T20 players in the world.

He was the lone South African player to be retained by an IPL side, Chennai Super Kings, for the fourth edition of the T20 league starting in April.

Morkel also has a contract to play in Sri Lanka in July. "That is probably the direction I will have to take if the selectors believe I am not good enough to make the team," Morkel said adding that there were no "sour grapes" over his omission, even though he was waiting for the official reason.