Morne Morkel appointed as bowling coach for Indian men's cricket team, starting September 1

Morne Morkel has been officially appointed as the bowling coach for the senior Indian men's cricket team, with his contract set to begin on September 1. The announcement was made by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah. Morkel, who couldn't join the Indian team on their recent Sri Lanka tour due to personal reasons, will take over from interim coach Sairaj Bahutule, who handled the role during the six white-ball matches.

Morkel's first assignment will be the home series against Bangladesh, beginning with the Chennai Test on September 19. The 39-year-old South African will work under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, with whom he has previously collaborated at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It was reportedly Gambhir who recommended Morkel for the role of bowling coach to the BCCI.

The two share a strong professional rapport, developed during their time together at LSG. Even after Gambhir moved on to join the Kolkata Knight Riders and head coach Andy Flower left for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Morkel continued as LSG's bowling coach under the new head coach, Justin Langer.

Morkel brings with him experience from his tenure as the bowling coach for the Pakistan team during last year's ODI World Cup in India, although he stepped down from that role months before his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was due to end.

Gambhir's current coaching staff also includes Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches, with T Dilip continuing as the fielding coach from the previous regime under Rahul Dravid.