3 reasons why Morne Morkel would be the perfect bowling coach for India men's side
So much has happened since Gautam Gambhir's appointment as the India men's head coach that it's been hard to keep track of. There have been countless reports naming and disapproving with possible members of his support staff.
Some say that Gambhir has asked for a couple of foreign coaches to support him while others say the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would never accept such a demand amid its all-Indian coaches policy. Then there have been interviews of outgoing coaches and discussions on how their legacies can be carried forward and who'll be the right people to do the job.
One interesting name that has recently been thrown around for the position of bowling coach is Morne Morkel. This would be quite an unlike-BCCI appointment if it goes through because the South African pacer retired only six years ago and doesn't have a ton of coaching experience on the international circuit.
But there are some things going Morkel's way which can work for India. We have listed them here:
#3 Modern coaches are the need of the hour
One of the reasons given by the BCCI for Gambhir's selection was that he would bring some modern philosophies to the team. Something like this is often seen in the batting perspective of high-intent cricket. However, if India will go in that direction with Gambhir, he'll need something to keep bowlers on the same page.
Morkel, though inexperienced, is one of those coaches who have jumped in straight after his playing days. Having worked with Pakistan's national men's team, New Zealand women's team and T20 sides in India and abroad, he's well versed with the current mood of the sport, the latest technologies and how to better manage the bowlers' mindsets.
#2 Right on theme for a fast-bowling development
All signs in India suggest that the BCCI is preparing for a fast-bowling boom in the country. So many fast-bowlers came through the ranks in IPL 2024 and then the BCCI promptly began handling unprecedented fast-bowling contracts to upcoming youngsters. India needs a good, emphatic man at the top to oversee this revolution in the right way.
Morkel was just the right man at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The bowlers spoke highly of him throughout and he seemingly played a key role in the development of Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan and Yash Thakur, making LSG one of the best fast-bowling teams in the tournament.
At the senior India level, he'll have to deal with bigger personalities but you can expect him to get similar respect from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami that he gets from the youngsters because of his excellent international record. Gambhir would be able to trust him to pick the right bowlers for different situations, create a pathway for new talent, and manage their workloads better.
#1 Massive boost to India's Test prospects
The above two are aspects where the results will show in the long term. In the short term, and for the result-oriented audience as well, Morkel seems like the right man for the job.
The first instance of that could be the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia at the end of the year. Having won the 2024 T20 World Cup, that is the goal for the men's team this year. Morkel picked up 23 wickets in six Tests across two series in Australia in his playing days. South Africa won both rubbers.
Such experience is invaluable and almost impossible to find elsewhere at the moment. The kind of input he'll be able to offer across tours for the next three to four years would be immensely upskilling even for the senior fast-bowlers and might just push them to the final stage of their development.
And who knows, when another tour of South Africa comes up for India, and Morkel (who played a role in multiple defeats for the Men in Blue in the country) is still around, he might be able to help the Test side win the first ever series in the Rainbow Nation?