Morne Morkel beat competition from former RCB, CSK players for bowling coach role: Reports

The BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, has recently confirmed Morne Morkel as India’s new bowling coach until 2027. Morne Morkel, a great South African cricketer and a great head coach with fruitful stints with the Pakistan cricket team for the ODI World Cup 2023 and the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, was head coach Gautam Gambhir’s preferred choice, having worked with him at LSG back in the IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons as the mentor of the franchise. The South African stalwart has played 86 Test matches, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is for the Proteas, having 544 scalps to his name in international cricket.

The 39-year-old cricketer is set to report to the NCA in Bengaluru at the start of September and will be expected to keep close eyes on the Duleep Trophy games. Once there, he will also share the words with NCA head VVS Laxman and head of bowling at NCA Troy Cooley. However, it has been reported that Morkel was directly named bowling coach on Gautam Gambhir’s recommendation ahead of the options with the likes of Lakshmipathy Balaji and R. Vinay Kumar.

When it came to the choice of support staff, it was imperative that Gambhir’s choice prevailed: BCCI sources

The BCCI sources revealed that they had the interview for the staff role, but it was ultimately Gautam Gambhir’s choice that prevailed. The sources further added that Morkel has had great experience playing in Australia, and he will definitely help India win the Border Gavaskar Trophy scheduled to take place at the end of the year. The South African stalwart is set to help India on the Australia and England tour make it to the World Test Championship Final for the third straight time.

“The Cricket Advisory Committee’s (CAC) mandate was to interview the candidates for the head coach. When it came to the 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. Also with the big series against Australia coming up Down Under from last 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,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

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