India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, recently shared an emotional moment with his father after landing the prestigious job with India’s cricket team. In a video uploaded by BCCI, Morkel revealed that after receiving the news of his appointment, his first call was to his father to share the special moment. Morkel expressed the joy and pride he felt upon joining head coach Gautam Gambhir’s backroom staff, emphasizing how meaningful this opportunity was for him.
Morkel, who officially took on the role of bowling coach on September 1, stressed the importance of building strong relationships with all team members. He believes that fostering a positive and healthy team environment is key to ensuring the best results on the field. His first assignment will be India’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting on September 19.
“When I ended the call, I sat for about five minutes in the room reflecting on it and the I first phoned my dad. He spoke to me, I didn’t even go to my wife. You know, normally they say go to your wife first, but I spoke to my dad and I mean, being a cricket fan for years and knowing what was going to come up, this is quite a special moment for me. So yeah, I enjoyed it for about 5 to 7 minutes to myself and then obviously shared with the family that this is an opportunity and potentially that might happen. I’m just so delighted that we eventually got things over the line, and I’m here,” Morkel said.
“It is just important to, to connect well, with the guys. I’ve played a lot against some of the players. I’ve seen and connected a little bit to some of the guys playing in the IPL and to now be in a camp, and to form friendship and to form relationships for me is very important,” Morkel added.
The appointment also marks a reunion for Morkel and Gambhir, who were teammates at KKR for three Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons. The duo have worked together in the past as part of the coaching setup for the LSG in IPL, further strengthening their professional rapport.
Before joining India’s coaching setup, Morkel had a stint coaching Pakistan during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he worked with captain Babar Azam. He left the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier than expected, and his next journey with the Indian team began shortly after.
