Renowned former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has been appointed as the bowling coach for the Indian men's cricket team, as confirmed by the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, on Wednesday.
Morkel will be working under the guidance of head coach Gautam Gambhir, with whom he previously collaborated for a few seasons at the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.
His first task with the Indian team will be during the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh next month. This marks Morkel's second stint as a bowling coach for an international cricket team, having previously worked with Pakistan.
Gambhir specifically requested Morkel to join the coaching staff, expressing his preference to the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee during his interview for the head coach position in Mumbai.
Morne Morkel was renowned for his towering height, blistering pace, and deadly bowling prowess throughout his illustrious career. Standing at an impressive 6'5", Morkel was a pivotal figure for the South African cricket team from 2006 to 2018, forming a formidable fast-bowling trio alongside Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.
Having featured in 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, Morkel amassed over 300 wickets in Test cricket alone. His ability to extract steep bounce from the pitch made him a nightmare for batsmen, particularly on fast and bouncy surfaces.
Morkel currently ranks sixth on the list of most successful bowlers for the Proteas in international cricket, having scalped a total of 535 wickets across all formats.
Following his retirement from international cricket, Morkel continued to showcase his skills in various T20 leagues before transitioning into coaching. He now imparts his wealth of knowledge and experience to the next generation of cricketers, leaving a lasting impact on the sport he loves.
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