Looks like Gautam Gambhir is putting his stamp on the Indian team as head coach, and a big part of his plan apparently involves the legendary South African pacer, Morne Morkel. Gambhir reportedly pushed hard to bring Morkel on board as India’s bowling coach.
Bahutule for IND vs SL, Morkel from then on
However, the ones who were hoping to see the tall Protea join the team in Sri Lanka will be disappointed. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Sairaj Bahutule from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as the interim bowling coach for the upcoming white-ball series in the island nation.
However, Bahutule won’t act as the Indian bowling coach after the white-ball tour to Sri Lanka. While Morkel himself won’t be there, it seems the bowling coach role is still very much in sight for him. The reason for his absence this time around is personal – Morkel, who lives in Australia, has flown to Pretoria to be with his unwell father.
All but certain: Morne Morkel as India bowling coach
Family first, as they say! There’s a chance Morkel might be able to join the team ahead of the home series against Bangladesh in September. So, there’s still hope for this interesting India-Morkel coaching partnership to take shape in the near future. Seeing the 39-year old work with the pace battery of India, that includes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and other budding pacers would be fun to watch.
From September 19, Team India will embark on their home season, with Bangladesh touring the country for 2 Tests and 3 T20 internationals.
