NEW DELHI: Morne Morkel, the former South African fast bowler, shared his thoughts on being approached by the BCCI for a coaching role with the Indian cricket team. He mentioned that upon receiving the offer, he took a few moments to reflect on it in solitude before discussing it with his father, rather than his wife, which is often the norm.
“I sat for five minutes in the room reflecting on it.I first spoke to my dad but didn’t go to my wife. Normally, they say go to your wife, but I went to speak to Dad. I have been a cricket fan for years, and knowing what’s going to come is quite a special moment. I enjoyed it for about five to seven minutes by myself and then shared with my family about the opportunity,” Morkel added.

Morkel expressed his love for Indian food, especially dosa and murgh malai chicken.
“I like a bit of poori. For breakfast, I obviously love dosas and murgh malai chicken. It is also important as a coach to show that you eat healthy, and the rest of the players will follow,” Morkel mentioned in a video shared by the BCCI, emphasising the significance of setting a good example for the team by maintaining a healthy diet.
Morne Morkel has been appointed as India’s new bowling coach, replacing Paras Mhambrey, who was part of the previous coaching team led by Rahul Dravid. Morkel joined the Indian cricket team in Chennai as they prepare for their first Test match against Bangladesh.
Morkel’s appointment sees him reunite with current Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir. They previously worked together at the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Morkel, 39, had a distinguished career as a fast bowler for South Africa. He also briefly coached Pakistan’s bowling team, taking up the position in June 2023. However, he left that role in November after the ODI World Cup, six weeks before his contract ended.
India will begin a 10-match Test series with two matches against Bangladesh, which are important for earning points in the World Test Championship (WTC).
India currently tops the WTC table with 68.52 percentage points, while Australia is in second place with 62.50 points. Bangladesh holds the fourth position with 45.83 points, after a successful series against Pakistan. Bangladesh’s recent victories include a 10-wicket win in the first Test and a century by Litton Das in the second Test that helped secure the series win.
India’s goal is to stay ahead in the WTC standings and prepare for their upcoming matches, which include a three-Test home series against New Zealand and a five-match series against Australia known as the Border-Gavaskar series.