The new bowling coach for India, Morne Morkel, believes that what isn’t broken shouldn’t be fixed. He enjoys the way the Indian cricket system functions automatically and says part of his new role will be to “get better in small ways” to aid that system.
Having worked closely with the current Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Gautam Gambhir, Morkel has visited India frequently enough to have a thorough understanding of the country’s operations and how he might fit in.
Morkel stated to BCCI.TV, “Coming here, this is a set-up that operates by itself, so to protect that and make it better in small ways is going to be the goal,” making it apparent that his emphasis is on small adjustments rather than thorough overhauls.
Additionally, he believes that super seniors like Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma would always take the lead and that his role as a support staff member will be to act as a sounding board.
“We have some very fortunate senior players who will spearhead the effort. “It is our duty to assist them and provide them with the best guidance we can,” stated Morkel, who will turn 40 in a few months and has shared the stage with the late Dale Steyn.
Morkel was “blown away” by the manner in which Indian players approached the game and “how professional they were.” Morkel has 544 international wickets in three formats, 309 of which came in Tests.
“That’s a good sign and hope we can build on that,” Morkel stated.
After enrolling in the pre-series camp in Bangladesh, his current goal is to gain the players’ trust and find out how he can support them.
“For me, this is important to connect well with the guys, played a lot against some of the players, seen and connected with some of the guys during IPL and to be in the camp and form friendships and relationships with players is very important,” stated the former Proteas fast.
“….trying to understand the guys and their strengths and weaknesses and help them set goals for the upcoming series.”
He hoped to be able to harness the extraordinary talent that Indian cricket players have.
“It’s not easy to make those guys feel comfortable in a scary setting, even with talent and experience. There are high expectations when India plays in the blue shirt, therefore my objective will be to gain experience, go through that, impart that kind of information, and aid in their adjustment, according to Morkel.
“The performance happens as soon as players feel at ease and like they belong here. Naturally, I’m excited about it and will make sure they upskill and meet the required standards.
“I understand that there will be expectations of winning and luckily I have experienced that in my playing days and I can share that knowledge,” he stated.
It took Morkel some time to process the confirmation following his finished negotiations with the BCCI regarding the role of the bowling coach.
“I therefore sat in the room for almost five minutes after ending the call. I didn’t even talk to my wife before I spoke to my father. It was a memorable occasion for him because, usually, they advise telling the wife first “laughed him lightly.
“I enjoyed it 5-7 minutes with myself and then shared with the family about the opportunity and about eventually what might happen, so happy that we eventually got things over the line and this happened, looking forward to great journey and time with India.”
Morkel like Indian food as well.
“I enjoy Puri for breakfast. I enjoy eating dosas and malai chicken, but it’s your responsibility as a coach to model proper eating for your players.
