Former South Africa pace great Morne Morkel has been roped in as the Indian cricket team’s new bowling coach, BCCI secretary Jay Shah told PTI on Wednesday, completing the appointment of new head coach Gautam Gambhir‘s preferred support staff. It is understood that the 39-year-old, who replaces Paras Mhambrey, will take over as the bowling coach from the Bangladesh series that starts with the opening Test in Chennai from September 19. He has been appointed till the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.

“Yes, Morne Morkel has been appointed bowling coach of the senior India men’s team,” Shah told PTI.

The other members of Gambhir’s support staff are assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, and fielding coach Ryan Ten Doeschate.

Morkel was also Gambhir’s preferred choice, having worked with him at Lucknow Super Giants during the Indian’s two IPL seasons as mentor of the franchise.

Morkel has played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs and 44 T20Is for South Africa with a total of 544 international wickets.

He will be reporting in Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy at the start of next month and is expected to watch the Duleep Trophy games. Once there, he will also touch base with VVS Laxman and head of bowling in NCA, Troy Cooley.

According to sources, Morkel was directly appointed on Gambhir’s recommendation ahead of other options like Lakshmipathy Balaji and R Vinay Kumar.

“The Cricket Advisory Committee’s (CAC) mandate was to interview the candidates for the head coach. When it came to choice of support staff, it was imperative that Gambhir’s choice prevailed. He has worked with Morne and thinks of him highly as a bowling coach,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“Also with the big series against Australia coming up Down Under from last week of November, there isn’t a better choice than the South African, who has himself enjoyed fair bit of success over there. Also there will be the five-Test tour of England next year with a potential sixth match if India reach WTC final.” It is understood that Balaji and Vinay’s names weren’t considered once it was clear that Morkel would carry forward the good work done by Mhambrey.

One half of the famous fast bowling duo that featured Dale Steyn, Morkel is a cricketing heavyweight and has also played quite a lot in India to have a fair idea about the conditions.

Also, his stint in the IPL has allowed him to have a ringside view of India’s next crop of fast bowlers including the most exciting of them all — Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan and Yash Thakur to name a few.

A lot of observers believe that Morkel worked quite a lot with Mayank during the past two seasons of IPL even though he remained injured for the better part.

Morkel’s biggest challenge will be to handle the transition phase as Mohammed Shami enters the business end of his illustrious career and Jasprit Bumrah needs more potent support apart from Mohammed Siraj, especially in red-ball cricket.

Morkel had last year worked with the Pakistan team till the end of the ODI World Cup and quit before his contract expired.

India have never had any spin bowling coach as such although former director Ravi Shastri was a distinguished left-arm spinner in his playing days. Sairaj Bahutule, who is a part of Laxman’s team at the NCA, has travelled on and off with the senior team.

File photo of Gautam Gambhir© AFP

Following the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach on Tuesday, former seamers Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji are being considered for the position of national team’s bowling coach, as per sources. “BCCI discussing the names of Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipati Balaji for the position of bowling coach. BCCI is not interested in the name of Vinay Kumar,” sources told ANI. Zaheer has picked up 311 Test wickets in 92 matches and overall 610 scalps in 309 international matches across all formats for Men in Blue. He is considered one of the greatest left-arm pacers to have played the sport.

Balaji has represented Team India in eight Test matches where he has managed to snap 27 wickets at an average of 37.18. On the other hand, he has bagged 34 wickets in 30 ODIs at an average of 39.52.

The appointment of a new set of support staff for Team India follows the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as head coach. The term of Paras Mahambrey, who was the bowling coach of team India, has come to an end.

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday announced that former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the Indian men’s cricket team’s new head coach.

Gambhir was a left-handed opener for the India team and served as Kolkata Knight Riders’ team mentor in the Indian Premier League 2024. KKR lifted their third IPL trophy this season under Gambhir’s guidance.

Jay Shah took to his official X account and announced Gambhir’s appointment as Team India’s new Head Coach.

The BCCI secretary added that he has his full confidence in Gambhir and that he will be the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward.

“It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @GautamGambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. His clear vision for #TeamIndia, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The @BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey,” Shah wrote on X.

Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of Team India came to an end after the conclusion of the final match of the T20 World Cup 2024, where India beat South Africa by seven runs to win the prestigious trophy after 17 years.

The ferocious Gautam Gambhir was named head coach of the Indian cricket team by the BCCI, which hoped that he would bring “tenacity and leadership” to the position that was held with “remarkable success” by Rahul Dravid until recently. Gambhir’s arrival isn’t the only change in India’s coaching setup, with the former opening batter also looking to bring in his own coaching staff. While Abhishek Nayar, the assistant coach at Kolkata Knight Riders, is one of Gambhir’s preferences, he reportedly also wants former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer R Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach in the Indian team.

According to a report in RevSportz, Gambhir has submitted the names of Abhishek Nayar, as assistant coach and R Vinay Kumar, as bowling coach, to the BCCI. WIth Gambhir’s coaching tenure beginning with the Sri Lanka series, the BCCI would need to act quickly upon the recommendations made by Gambhir.

The 42-year-old Gambhir was the front-runner to replace Dravid whose tenure ended with the country’s title win in the T20 World Cup in Barbados last month.

“It is an absolute honour to serve my tricolour, my people, my country,” said Gambhir in a BCCI statement.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rahul Dravid and his team of support staff for their exemplary run with the team. I am honoured and excited to take on the role of Head Coach for Team India.

“I have always taken pride while donning the Indian jersey during my playing days and it is going to be no different when I take up this new role.

Gambhir said he looks forward to working closely with the BCCI, Head of Cricket VVS Laxman, the support staff, and, “most importantly, the players, as we work towards achieving success in the upcoming tournaments.” Gambhir’s first assignment as India coach will be the of tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and as many ODIs starting July 27.

“The Board would like to thank former Head Coach, Mr Rahul Dravid for his brilliant run with the team. Team India now embarks on a journey under a new coach – Mr Gautam Gambhir,” said BCCI President Roger Binny in an elaborate statement.

The Board stated that the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe and Sulakshana Naik on Tuesday unanimously recommended Gambhir. The BCCI had invited applications for the position on May 13.

“His experience, dedication, and vision for the game make him the ideal candidate to guide our team forward. We are confident that under his leadership, Team India will continue to excel and make the nation proud,” Binny.

With PTI Inputs