Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel is enthusiastic about his potential success as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, according to his brother Albie. Albie also mentioned that Morne would be eager to collaborate with Jasprit Bumrah.
Albie expressed, “It’s clear that serving on the Indian team’s coaching staff is one of the most significant coaching roles available. The intense love for cricket and the team’s past achievements mean this job leaves little room for mistakes. He’ll be working with highly accomplished players, so for him, it’s about gaining their confidence and showing them that he can help them perform at their best consistently,” as reported by Mid-day.
When asked about which Indian bowlers he admires, Albie mentioned Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah. He continued, “I’m not sure what his exact thoughts are, but I believe Jasprit is the top bowler in all formats globally. He’s exceptional, and I’m certain Morne would enjoy coaching him.”
It’s known that 39-year-old Morne, who is replacing Paras Mhambrey, will start as the bowling coach from the Bangladesh series, beginning with the first Test in Chennai on September 19. His appointment lasts until the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
Morkel was chosen for the position based on Gambhir’s suggestion, over other candidates like Lakshmipathy Balaji and R Vinay Kumar. Gambhir preferred Morkel because they had previously worked together when Gambhir was a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants during Morkel’s two seasons in the Indian Premier League.
Morkel has a strong cricket background, having played in 86 Test matches, 117 One Day Internationals, and 44 Twenty20 Internationals for South Africa, taking a total of 544 international wickets.
He is scheduled to begin his duties at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru next month and plans to attend the Duleep Trophy matches. During his time there, he will also meet with VVS Laxman and the head of bowling at the NCA, Troy Cooley.
