Gautam Gambhir seeks Morne Morkel as bowling coach, BCCI yet to decide

Gautam Gambhir has reportedly requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to appoint Morne Morkel as the bowling coach of the national team. After announcing Gambhir as the new head coach earlier this week, BCCI is looking to appoint other members of the support staff ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka.

According to a report from Cricbuzz, Gambhir is keen on having former South African speedster Morne Morkel as the bowling coach, taking over the reins from Paras Mhambrey. Morkel has a decent amount of coaching experience, having coached the Pakistan team during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. He decided to quit the job months before his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was set to expire.

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The report confirms that there have been some discussions with Morkel, who is currently settled in Australia. Gambhir and Morkel share a good working relationship, having previously worked together as a part of Lucknow Super Giants' support staff. Gambhir served as the mentor for two years before moving to Kolkata Knight Riders but the South African continued at the KL Rahul-led franchise.

Morkel retired from the game in 2018 after taking 309, 188, and 47 wickets from 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, respectively. He is well-versed with modern methods in the sport and could add a lot of value to the Indian setup.

Several names have been linked to the bowling coach position, including former India cricketers Lakshmipathy Balaji and Vinay Kumar. Reports have also suggested that the BCCI is considering the legendary Zaheer Khan for the role. While zeroing in on Morkel, one of the considerations is his young family and the extensive travel required for the role. He lives in the plush Seaforth suburb in northern Sydney with his wife Roz Kelly, a sports presenter on Channel 9, and two children.

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Apart from Morkel, it has also been reported that Gambhir is keen on having Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate in the support staff. However, the BCCI is yet to take a final call on this matter. The new setup is going to take charge from the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, where the Men in Blue play three T20Is and as many ODIs.