Morne Morkel, the former South African fast bowler, has been officially appointed as the bowling coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the appointment on Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation about the role. Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, made the announcement.
Morkel takes over from Paras Mhambrey, who previously held the position. His appointment finalizes the Indian team‘s coaching staff, which now includes head coach Gautam Gambhir, assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, and fielding coach T Dilip.
The decision to bring Morkel on board follows a rigorous selection process in which he was the leading candidate among other contenders like R Vinay Kumar, a former Indian seamer. Morkel’s name was put forward by Gambhir, who has worked with him in the past. Gambhir and Morkel collaborated during their time with the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Durban Super Giants in the SA20 league.
Morkel‘s appointment comes at a crucial time for the Indian team. He will face the immediate challenge of maintaining and strengthening the team’s fast bowling depth. India is set to play five home Tests from September to November before embarking on a tour of Australia. This tour will feature a five-Test series, marking the first time since 1992 that India will play such a series on Australian soil.
While Morkel‘s role is clear, the future of Sairaj Bahutule, the former India leg-spinner who served as a bowling coach during the Sri Lanka tour, remains uncertain. There is speculation that Bahutule might continue in some capacity, potentially as a spin consultant. The Indian team management is keen on expanding its pool of spin options beyond the established trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav.
During his international career, Morkel played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, accumulating 544 wickets. Since retiring from international cricket, he has worked as a bowling consultant with various teams globally.
His previous roles include positions with Pakistan, the Lucknow Super Giants, New Zealand’s women’s team at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, and Namibia at the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
