5 fast bowlers who can replace Morne Morkel

It will be somewhat of an emotional moment at the conclusion of the fourth and final Test against Australia when Morne Morkel will officially say goodbye to international cricket. A legend in his own right, the big man has been wreaking havoc for batsmen all over the world and will be sorely missed by the South African team.

South Africa will be hoping to give the big man a proper send-off with a series win over the Aussies, and there will undoubtedly be a few tears in between the celebrations.

However, when the dust has settled and the tears have dried, South Africa will need to look to the future to find a replacement for the lanky fast bowler. His pace and bounce have been a massive weapon to their bowling attack and the way he bowled in the third test against Australia in Cape Town highlighted how dangerous he still is.

With South Africa seemingly having an endless supply of quality fast bowlers at their disposal, who can take big Morne's place in the squad? We look at five possible contenders.

#1 Chris Morris

Chris Morris is a top contender to replace Morkel

Chris Morris has been in and out of the South African Test side, but Morkel's retirement could give him a more permanent place in the squad.

His height and the ability to bowl the ball at pace make him a suitable replacement for Morkel. He has shown that he does have the ability to extract bounce from the surface, and this is an important feature to his bowling which the South Africans will want in their bowling attack.

As an all-rounder, he offers something with both bat and ball, and this is something that the South African selectors and coaching staff will definitely want to consider. The ability of a team to score runs at the bottom of the order is a crucial one, and one feels that Morris could easily slot into the lineup after Quinton de Kock. This means that he would be batting at number 8, which would easily make him one of the best number 8 batsmen in test cricket at the moment.

Perhaps replacing Morkel with an all-rounder is the perfect route for South Africa to go.

#2 Lungi Ngidi

Ngidi has made a bright start to his international career

Lungi Ngidi made his Test debut in the series against India and immediately announced his arrival on the international scene. He took a sensational 6/39 against India in their second innings, and impressed everyone with his pace and control.

At just 21 years of age, he has a long career ahead of him. However, given the superb start which he has made, it is evident that he is definitely a prospect for the future. Being the hottest bowling sensation in South Africa since Kagiso Rabada, Ngidi is someone who can fill the role that Morkel leaves behind.

His ability with the bat has yet to be tested but it is unlikely that he would surpass Morris in this regard. However, as an out and out bowler he has shown that he has what it takes to compete at international level and the can only get better from here.

#3 Duanne Olivier

Olivier could cement his place in the South African team

Duanne Olivier has not been in the South African side as frequently as he would have liked, usually being called up as cover for another bowler. However, he does possess a lot of talent and skill, and he will be looking for an extended run in the South African side to demonstrate this.

He hits the deck hard, which is something that South Africa will surely want from their bowling attack. Whilst he hasn't quite made the explosive impact on the international scene as Ngidi or Rabada, he still remains a lethal prospect who could terrorize batsmen across the world for years to come.

#4 Marchant de Lange

De Lange will be looking to make a return to the test side

A name that seems to have been forgotten in recent times is that of fast bowler Marchant de Lange. He had a superb start to his international career, making his Test debut against Sri Lanka, and returning figures of 8/126 in the match. This included a superb return of 7/81 in the first Sri Lankan innings where he simply blew the opposition away with his pace and aggression.

Injuries have seen his career experience a couple of setbacks, however, he will be looking to return to the international stage and dominate batsmen with his raw pace. With Morne Morkel retiring, De Lange might be able to take his place in the side.

#5 Wiaan Mulder

Mulder provides South Africa with a good all-rounder option

Wiaan Mulder hasn't featured in the South African test squad as yet, however, the young man promises to be an exciting prospect for the future.

He made his debut for South Africa in an ODI against Bangladesh last year, and while he may have only contributed 2 runs with the bat, he returned figures of 1/32 off 8 overs with the ball.

These figures do not reflect on the quality of the young man. Domestically, he is consistently one of the top performers and as an all-rounder, he offers something with both bat and ball.

At under 20 years of age, he has a long way to go. However, he has enormous potential, and getting him into the South African side now might develop him into one of the leading all-rounders in Test cricket in years to come.