Former South African pacer Morne Morkel has been appointed as the new bowling coach for Team India, as confirmed by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
This decision follows the recent appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach, although the BCCI had not initially clarified whether the existing support staff would remain or if new members would be introduced. Gambhir had reportedly expressed interest in bringing R Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach and Jonty Rhodes for fielding, but these requests were declined by the board. Instead, Gambhir recommended Morkel for the role, and discussions between the BCCI and Morkel have already taken place. Morkel, who was the bowling coach for Pakistan until the ODI World Cup 2023, resigned from that position well before his contract was set to expire due to disappointing performances from the team. The relationship between Gambhir and Morkel is well-established; they played together at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL and later collaborated at Lucknow Super Giants, where Morkel served as the bowling coach. Gambhir has praised Morkel’s skills, describing him as one of the toughest bowlers he faced during his playing career. The BCCI has shown a preference for an all-Indian coaching staff, a trend maintained over the past several years. This inclination has influenced their hesitance to hire overseas coaches, which may have contributed to the board’s reluctance to appoint Morkel initially. However, with Gambhir’s backing, Morkel is expected to join the coaching staff after the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Morkel’s extensive experience, having played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is for South Africa, positions him as a valuable asset to the Indian team. His calm demeanor and coaching experience are anticipated to positively impact the bowlers. The cricket community is now awaiting formal confirmation of his appointment and the finalization of the coaching staff before the team’s next series.
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