Morne Morkel, the former South African pacer with a wealth of coaching experience, is in the running to become India’s new bowling coach. Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian cricket team, has included Morkel on his list of preferred candidates. Morkel, who previously coached the Pakistan team during last year’s ODI World Cup in India, stepped down from his role months before his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was set to expire.

Gambhir’s recommendation for Morkel

Gautam Gambhir has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to consider Morkel for the position of bowling coach. Morkel, who has played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is between 2006 and 2018, has been in discussions with the BCCI regarding this role. Now settled in Australia, Morkel has established a strong coaching reputation both internationally and in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Gambhir and Morkel share a productive working relationship from their time at the Lucknow Super Giants IPL team, where Gambhir served as a mentor and Morkel as the bowling coach. Despite changes in the coaching staff, Morkel continued with the franchise under new head coach Justin Langer after Gambhir moved to the Kolkata Knight Riders and former head coach Andy Flower transitioned to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Competitive field for the bowling coach position

The BCCI is considering several candidates for the bowling coach role, including Lakshmipathy Balaji, Vinay Kumar, and potentially Zaheer Khan. Despite the competitive field, Gambhir’s preference for working with familiar individuals makes Morkel a strong contender. Morkel, at 39, has remained engaged with the latest techniques of the game since retiring in 2018.

One of the key considerations for Morkel is the extensive travel required for the job, given his young family and current residence in northern Sydney with his wife Roz Kelly, a sports presenter on Channel 9, and their two children.

If selected, Morkel would replace Paras Mhambrey, who has been successful in the role for the past three years under former head coach Rahul Dravid. In addition to Morkel, Gambhir has also recommended Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, with the BCCI showing interest in retaining fielding coach T Dilip from Dravid’s regime.

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As the BCCI moves closer to making a final decision, the inclusion of Morne Morkel in India’s coaching setup could bring significant expertise and fresh perspectives to the team.