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.