South African pace bowler Morne Morkel has provided some long-awaited clarity on his future after confirming that he will be retiring from international cricket at the end of South Africa's Test series against Australia. The 33-year-old fast bowler announced his decision in Durban as the Proteas began their preparation for a four-match series against an opponent that they have never beaten in a Test series on home soil.

Morkel did not say exactly where that new chapter will take him, but confirmed that he wanted to keep playing cricket at a high level. Morkel went unsold at the IPL auction last month, but a stint in English county cricket would be an appealing prospect. Morkel's family joined him for most of the three months that South Africa spent in England last year.

South Africa pace bowler Morkel's future has been the subject of speculation since last August, when he was linked with a Kolpak move. He subsequently admitted that his international career could be cut short unless he was provided assurances about his place at the 2019 World Cup. But while coach Ottis Gibson later said that Morkel was a part of his plans for the tournament, Morkel has now decided to put family first.

In his limited-over career 117 ODIs match, Morkel claimed 188 wickets at 25.32 average. Since returning from a serious back injury a year ago, he has become a key member of the ODI side. But the emergence of Lungi Ngidi in both Tests and ODIs suggests that his absence will be covered for, and Morkel expressed his own confidence in the future of South Africa's fast bowling arsenal.