11 Interesting Facts About Danny Morrison: The Duckman

Danny Morrison has of late become the face of commentary. His energetic commentary and his exuberance epitomize his exciting persona. Despite his off-field antics, Morrison is one of the best right arm fast bowlers to ever be produced by New Zealand. Being one of the most successful Kiwi bowlers of his time, Danny Morrison has taken a whopping 160 wickets from just 48 tests.

1. Birth

Daniel Kyle Morrison was born on the 3^rd of February 1966 at Auckland.

2. Nickname

Danny Morrison is popularly known as ‘The Duckman’. The origins his nickname track back to the 24 ducks that Danny Morrison acquired in his test career.

3. Hat-trick against India

One of Danny Morrison’s best performances with the ball came on the 25^th of March 1994 against India at Napier. Morrison picked up the wickets of Kapil Dev, Salil Ankola and Nayan Mongia in three consecutive deliveries, thus helping the Kiwis pick up a 25 run victory. Another unusual feat was that all three scalps were bowled.

4. The Duckman

The term ‘Duckman’ has a rather interesting origin. After being dubbed as ‘The Duckman’ following his frequent ducks with the bat, Morrison was subject to satirical and good-natured ridicule from his teammate. In 1996, a tie full of ducks was manufactured in his honor. Morrison went as far as manufacturing duck callers for hunters.

5. The Lunatic little fast bowler with the crazy look

Although having a horrible record with the bat, Morrison was always picked for the New Zealand side courtesy of his bowling merit. Short in stature, Morrison made up for his shortcoming with a massive leap before delivering the ball. The action proved to be very effective as Morrison was able to generate tremendous speeds and pick up wickets.  The term “The Lunatic little fat bowler with a crazy look’ was coined by Harsha Bhogle.

6. Danny Morrison the author

Shortly after his retirement, Danny Morrison published his autobiography ‘Mad As I Wanna Be’. Kiwi commentator Richard Whiting went on to describe the book as ‘mental’ amid the positive reviews it received. Morrison later wrote a book, Danny Morrison Junior Cricket Diary, a self-help book for aspiring cricketers.

7. Danny the entertainer

Danny Morrison has always been a bit of an entertainer. His antics have been well documented in the IPL. During IPL 2 in South Africa, Morrison approached the DJ during the match. The DJ allowed Morrison to play the trumpet sound that received a loud cheer from the Durban crowd.

8. The New Zealand Haka

Once more in the IPL, Morrison performed the Haka dance in the pre-show along with fellow commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu.

9. The ‘Dr. Danny’ Tag

Danny Morrison’s eccentric and over the top commentary style earned him the nickname “Dr. Dannny” He is fondly addressed as Dr. Danny by friends and players alike while commentating in the IPL.

10. The Danny Morrison Show

Morrison has gone from wrecking fast bowler to exciting TV personality in the last decade. Apart from serving as a commentator in most of the T20 leagues around the world, he also served as the host of Sky Sports’ ‘Cricket Company’ show for 7 years. Apart from his charity work, he is also a guest speaker, speaking at a plethora of events. Given all this, there is certainly no reason why he cannot have ‘The Danny Morrison’ show.

11. The 106 Run Partnership with Nathan Astle

In what came to be known as ‘Danny Morrison’s last stand’, Morrison was involved in a 106 run partnership with Nathan Astle. The partnership became the highest 10^th wicket partnership for the Kiwis with Morrison contributing 14 valuable runs to the cause. The partnership helped save the test match against England.