Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has been appointed as the new bowling coach of the Indian men's senior cricket team, as per a report published in Cricbuzz. (More Cricket News)
He is set to start his tenure from September 1.
Morkel had worked with the current Team India coach Gautam Gambhir during the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While Gambhir was serving as the team's mentor, Morkel was their bowli𝓀ng coa𝓡ch.
The lanky pacer also played alongside Gambhir for three seasons at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Morkel's first assignment will be the Bangladesh Test 🦩series starting 🐬from September 19.
Overall, Morkel has played ovܫer 247 intern🎃ational games for South Africa and taken 544 wickets.
He will be reporting in Bengaluru's National Cricket Academy at the start of next month and is expected to watch the Duleep Trophy games. Once there, he will also touch base with VVS Laxman and head of bowling in NCA, Troy Cooley.
According to sources, Morkel was directly appointed on Gambhir's recommendation ahead of other options like Lak🧸shmipathy Ba♚laji and R Vinay Kumar.
"The Cricket Advisory Committee's (CAC) mandate was to interview the candidates for the head coach. When it came to choice of support staff, it was imperative that Gambhir's choice prevailed. He has worked with Morne and thinks of him highly as a bowling coach," a BCCI source tol💛d PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"Also with the big series against Australia coming up Down Under from last𝓀 week of November, there isn't a better choice than the South African, who has himself enjoyed fair bit of success over there. Also there will be the five-Test tour of England next year with a potential sixth match if India reach WTC final."
It is understood that Balaji and Vinay's names weren't considered once it was clear that Morkel would carry forward the good work done by Mham𝕴b🧜rey.
One half of ♌the famous fast bowling duo that featured Dale Steyn, Morkel is a cr𝓀icketing heavyweight and has also played quite a lot in India to have a fair idea about the conditions.
Also, his sti𓆏nt in the IPL has allowed him to have a ringside view of India's next crop of fast bowlers including the most exciting of them💧 all -- Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan and Yash Thakur to name a few.
A lot of observers believe that Morkel worked quite a lot with Mayank during the past two seasons of IPL even though🍃 he remained injured for the better part.
Morkel's biggest challenge will be tꦿo handle the transition phase as Mohammed Shami enters the business end of his illustrious career and Jasprit Bumrah needs more potent support apart from Mohammed Siraj, especially in red-ball cricket.
Morkel had last 🌠year worked with the Pakistan team till the end of the ODI World Cup and quit🏅 before his contract expired.
India have never had any spin bowling coach as such alt𒁃hough former director Ravi Shastri was a distinguished left-arm spinner in his playing days. Sairaj Bahutule, who is a part of Laxman's team at the NCA, has travelled on and off with the senior💫 team.
(With PTI inputs)
