Morne Morkel appointed as India's new bowling coach, debut series against Bangladesh
PTC News Desk: Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has been named the new bowling coach of the Indian cricket team, according to BCCI secretary Jay Shah, as reported by news agency PTI.
Morkel's tenure will officially begin on September 1, with his first assignment being the home Test series against Bangladesh, starting on September 19. His contract extends until the conclusion of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
"Yes, Morne Morkel has been appointed as the bowling coach for the senior India men's team," Shah confirmed to PTI.
Morkel will start his role at Bengaluru's National Cricket Academy (NCA) in early September, where he is expected to observe the Duleep Trophy matches. During this period, he will also coordinate with VVS Laxman and NCA’s head of bowling, Troy Cooley.
Morkel brings extensive experience to the role, having represented South Africa in 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, with an impressive tally of 309, 188, and 47 wickets, respectively. Alongside Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, Morkel was part of one of the most formidable bowling attacks in world cricket, dominating batsmen across all formats.
After retiring from international cricket at the age of 33, Morkel played county cricket and then transitioned into coaching. His first major international coaching role was as Pakistan’s bowling coach, where he played a crucial role in developing bowlers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Following Pakistan's disappointing performance in that tournament, Morkel chose not to extend his tenure.
Morkel shares a long-standing relationship with India's head coach Gautam Gambhir, having played together at Kolkata Knight Riders for three seasons. They also worked together at Lucknow Super Giants, where Gambhir was the mentor and Morkel the bowling coach. Morkel continued in his role as LSG's bowling coach even after Gambhir moved to KKR before the current season.
Morkel joins the coaching team alongside assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, and fielding coach T Dilip. While Nayar, Dilip, and ten Doeschate were part of India's support staff during the Sri Lanka tour, Morkel was in Australia with his family as final discussions were being held.
During the Sri Lanka tour, NCA’s bowling coach Sairaj Bahutulle served as the interim bowling coach.
Morkel replaces former India pacer Paras Mhambrey, who had a successful stint under head coach Rahul Dravid. Their tenure ended with India’s T20 World Cup victory in June this year.
An official announcement from the BCCI regarding Morkel’s appointment is still pending.
Morkel's first challenge as India's bowling coach will be the home series, which includes two Tests and three T20Is against Bangladesh, followed by three Tests against New Zealand. His biggest test will come during the Australia tour in December-January, where India will aim for a third consecutive Test series win Down Under, continuing their dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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- With inputs from agencies
