A tall, lanky fast bowler, Morne Morkel made his first-class debut for Easterns against West Indians in 2004. He soon impressed with his pace and bounce and was hailed as a national potential by Alan Donald. It was in 2006/07 that Morkel caught the eyes of selectors during India's tour of South Africa. A brilliant display of fast bowling saw him rip through the Indian top order with figures of 4/29 at Potchefstroom. Three weeks later, he received his first international call-up and replaced Dale Steyn who was ruled out, in the second Test against India at Durban. A fit Steyn, however, won back his place in the next match.

He made his ODI debut for Africa XI against Asia XI and was then selected for the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 where he emerged as South Africa's best bowler with nine wickets at 13.33 and an economy rate of 6.00. Consistent performances in the limited overs internationals against West Indies at home paved the way for a Test recall in the away series against Bangladesh and he straightaway got back to his wicket-taking business with a five-for in just his second Test in Dhaka. Morkel slowly made himself a permanent fixture in South Africa's three-pronged attack that featured the dangerous Steyn and veteran Makhaya Ntini. The trio's best performances came in India, when the hosts were bowled out for a mere 76 in all but 20 overs and eventually paved the way to a lead in the series.

Morkel's second international five-wicket haul came against a visiting England side, in a match where he led South Africa's bowling attack. Morne has also participated in the Indian T20 league. He initially played for Rajasthan and was bought by Delhi later. In the 2014 edition, he was purchased by Kolkata. His searing pace and steep bounce sets him apart from the other bowlers and he, along with Dale Steyn, formed one of the most lethal bowling combinations in world cricket over the years.