Morne Morkel will begin his stint as India’s head coach on September 1 and brother Albie is excited about him working with India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Morne Morkel was appointed as India’s bowling coach to replace Paras Mhambrey.
Morkel’s name was reportedly recommended by India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who worked with the former South African pacer for two years in the IPL for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
India’s bowling has been their greatest strength over the last decade, with the team consistently scooping up 20 wickets. Morkel’s actual duty will be to find and mold India’s next generation of fast bowlers, which is currently uncertain.
Morne will need to find and build up the next gen of Indian pace units after Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami retire. Morkel’s first task as per his brother Albie Morkel is to earn the trust of some of the established members of the team.
“It goes without saying that being on the Indian team’s coaching staff is probably the biggest responsibility or coaching job out there. The passion for the sport and the success that the team had in the past makes it a job with no room for error. He will be surrounded by some very good players who have achieved a lot, so I guess, for him, it’s a matter of earning their trust and believe that he can help to reach their full potential day in and day out,” Albie Morkel told Mid-day.
Morne Morkel, 39, played in 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is for South Africa and picked a total of 544 wickets from 2006-2018.
I’m sure Morne Morkel would love to work with Jasprit Bumrah: Albie Morkel
Morne Morkel will also be working with one of the best bowlers in the world today Jasprit Bumrah and brother Albie said that Morne would need to win Bumrah’s trust and strike a good rapport with the India pacer.
“Once again, I don’t know what his exact thoughts would be, but Jasprit is the best all-format bowler in the world. He is very special and I’m sure Morne would love to work with him,” Albie said.
Before signing with India, Morkel served as Pakistan’s bowling coach. He has also worked with New Zealand at the 2023 T20 World Cup and Namibia at the T20 World Cup.
“It’s a fine line between being too technical and what’s right. I think the game has changed so much over the last decade. Younger bowlers or bowlers who struggle with injuries probably need more technical work, and after that it’s about fine tuning what you have. The mental aspect becomes very important then to sustain longevity.
I haven’t worked with him on that level, but what he has is a lot of experience in most situations that the bowlers might encounter. If he applies that in his coaching and find ways to communicate that in a way that makes sense, he will add a lot of value,” Albie concluded.
Morne Morkel’s first assignment as India’s head coach will be the home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
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