Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has been officially named the bowling coach for the Indian men’s cricket team, putting an end to weeks of speculation. The announcement was made by BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Wednesday.
Morkel steps in to replace Paras Mhambrey, a former India pacer, completing India’s coaching staff under head coach Gautam Gambhir. The team also includes assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, along with fielding coach T Dilip.
Morkel was the leading candidate for the position, edging out former India seamer R Vinay Kumar. Prior to this role, Morkel served as Pakistan’s bowling coach until December last year. His selection was recommended by Gambhir, with whom he worked closely for two seasons at the IPL’s Lucknow Super Giants and at Durban Super Giants in the SA20 league.
One of Morkel’s key tasks will be to maintain and strengthen India’s fast bowling resources as the team prepares for five home Tests between September and November, followed by a challenging five-Test series in Australia—their first such tour since 1992.
There is still uncertainty regarding the future involvement of Sairaj Bahutule, the former India leg-spinner who served as the bowling coach during the recent Sri Lanka tour. The team management aims to build a strong pool of spinners alongside R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav, and Bahutule might continue as a spin consultant, possibly in a non-permanent capacity.
Morkel, who enjoyed a distinguished 12-year international career with 544 wickets across 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, has since transitioned into a successful bowling consultant. In addition to his roles with Pakistan and LSG, he has also worked with New Zealand’s women’s team during the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup and recently with Namibia in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.