Former South African bowler Morne Morkel and current India men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir worked together at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). When Gambhir got the top job, he called Morkel for the bowling coach role The former Protea pacer got emotional after Gambhir approached him for the role. He recalled sitting by himself and taking it all in for a brief period and then speaking to his father before breaking the news to his wife.
"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 in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
After joining the Indian camp, Morkel said that it is crucial to form a bond with the players. His first assignment as bowling coach will be in the home series against Bangladesh including two Tests and three T20Is.
"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.
Morkel’s love for Indian food
The 39-year-old, who has spent long periods in India during his career as a bowler and then as coach in the IPL, enjoys the local cuisine.
"I like a bit of Puri. For breakfast, I obviously love my dosas. Murgh Malai, chicken, and Naan breads but I think it's also important as a coach that you need to eat healthy and the rest of the players will follow,” he said.
Big opportunity for Morkel
Morkel will not just work with well-polished Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj but newbies Akash Deep and left-arm pacer Yash Dayal. It will be interesting to see how he implements a few changes in their lengths and approach against an in-form Bangladeshi side.
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