To India’s former South African quick bowler, Morne Morkel, 39 years old, has accepted the key post of a bowling mentor after Bharat Arun and Paras Mhambrey. The main obstacle here is winning confidence of bowlers from India to perform well in his new role.
However, Morkel has not had a relationship with these players before. “The most important thing is to gain the trust of established guys; that’s what I would be looking at doing,” noted Albie Morkel.
“There’s no doubt that being part of the coaching staff for the Indian cricket team would be one of the highest stakes or coaching jobs anywhere in sport. The love for cricket and their previous success makes this a job that cannot afford any mistakes. So he will probably have around him some pretty good cricketers who have done a lot so it is also up to him as to how much he can earn their trust and belief on every single day basis and how much they feel he can help them get better each day,” said Albie Morkel according to Mid-day. One among those many who play central roles alongside Morkel will likely be Jasprit Bumrah, perhaps the best fast bowler across all formats in existence today. For India, Bumrah’s flexibility and ability to perform under different conditions are priceless.
Albie was questioned about Indian bowlers that Morne admires: “I am not sure but probably Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah?” “Again, I don’t know his exact thoughts but I think Jasprit’s name comes up because he is the best fast-bowler in all three formats of the game. He is very special, and I’m sure Morne would love to work with him.”
Morkel may not have an extensive coaching background like some other predecessors but his resume speaks volumes about his experience. Having been Pakistan’s bowling mentor before relinquishing the position after World Cup 2023 and working with New Zealand and Namibia in the T20 World Cups.
Albie Morkel emhasizes how important it is for his brother to have that experience especially when it comes to dealing with the mental side of cricket which is something bowlers need to address having gone through such challenges as injuries.
“And it’s a very thin line between too technical and what’s right. I think the game has changed so much over the last decade. Younger bowlers or bowlers who struggle with injuries probably need more technical work, and after that, it’s about fine-tuning what you have. The mental aspect becomes very important then to sustain longevity,” Albie said.
This selection of Morkel could be India’s way of ensuring their bowling thrives on fresh perspective that could lead them to accomplishing higher goals in their next phase of cricketing history. Experience-wise, he seems like someone who has been there before in all levels of cricket due to his knowledge about this post as well as its technicalities and psychological implications during matches.
