Morne Morkel has been appointed as the new bowling coach of the senior Indian men’s cricket team, with his contract set to begin on September 1, according to recent reports. Morkel, 39, will officially assume his duties during the upcoming home series against Bangladesh, starting with the Chennai Test on September 19.

Morkel was unable to join the Indian team on their recent tour of Sri Lanka due to personal issues, prompting Sairaj Bahutule to step in as the interim bowling coach for the six white-ball matches. Morkel’s appointment comes after a strong recommendation from Gautam Gambhir, under whom Morkel previously worked at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Strong Rapport with Gambhir

Gambhir, who currently leads the Indian coaching staff, developed a solid working relationship with Morkel during their time at LSG. During his tenure, Gambhir served as a mentor, while Morkel was the bowling coach. Even after Gambhir moved to Kolkata Knight Riders and head coach Andy Flower joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Morkel continued his role as the bowling coach under LSG’s new head coach, Justin Langer.

Previous Coaching Experience

Morkel also has international coaching experience, having served as the bowling coach for the Pakistan team during last year’s ODI World Cup in India. However, he resigned from his position months before his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was due to expire.

Coaching Staff Composition

Under Gambhir’s leadership, the current Indian coaching team includes Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches. T Dilip, who served under the previous coaching regime led by Rahul Dravid, will continue as the fielding coach. Morkel’s addition to the coaching staff is expected to bolster India’s bowling attack, especially with his extensive experience and expertise.