Former Proteas ace Morkel lends expertise to India

Morné Morkel has been appointed the Indian national team’s new bowling coach, continuing a career that has included stints with the Pakistan men’s and New Zealand women’s teams.

After weeks of speculation, Morkel, 39, was confirmed by Board of Control for Cricket in India head Jay Shah as the final member of Gautam Gambhir’s coaching staff, which includes former Western Province and Dutch player Ryan ten Doeschate, who will be one of the assistants with former Indian player Abishek Nayar. 

Morkel played the last of his 86 Tests for the Proteas against Australia in 2018. He is one of five SA bowlers to take more than 300 Test wickets and also played in 117 ODIs and 44 T20 Internationals. 

After brief stints as a commentator in Australia, Morkel has thrown himself into coaching, working in domestic leagues in Australia, the IPL and the SA20, before taking up international gigs with the New Zealand women’s team during the T20 World Cup in SA in 2022, and then more recently with Pakistan’s men’s side at the ODI World Cup in India in 2023.

It was during his playing days with the Kolkata Knight Riders that Morkel and Gambhir formed a close bond, which has proved pivotal in Morkel’s latest appointment. Gambhir became India’s head coach after the team’s triumph in the T20 World Cup in which they beat SA in a tightly contested final in Barbados. 

Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid, who had been in the position for three years. 

It is by some distance the most high-profile coaching stint of Morkel’s coaching career, as the fervour around the Indian men’s team is relentless. India have a busy schedule, with series against Bangladesh and New Zealand at home, followed by a high-profile tour to Australia, where they play five Tests at the end of the year. 

Morkel’s role will also demand ensuring India’s fast bowling, led by Jasprit Bumrah, remains strong as they seek to annex the World Test Championship after finishing as runners-up in the first two editions.