Former South African cricketer Morne Morkel, who played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is between 2006 and 2018, is reportedly being considered to replace Paras Mhambrey as the bowling coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. Gautam Gambhir, the new head coach, has highlighted Morkel’s extensive coaching experience, making him a top candidate.

Morkel, who played alongside Gautam Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders, previously collaborated with him in support staff roles at Lucknow Super Giants. He also coached Pakistan during last year’s ODI World Cup in India but resigned several months before his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ended.

Both Gambhir and Morkel developed a strong working relationship at the Lucknow Super Giants IPL team, where Gambhir mentored for two years. After Gambhir joined the Kolkata Knight Riders and head coach Andy Flower moved to the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Morkel continued as the franchise’s bowling coach under new head coach Justin Langer.

Gambhir, known for his preference to work with those he is comfortable with, reportedly desires to include Morkel in his coaching team. Despite retiring in 2018 at the age of 39, Morkel remains knowledgeable about the latest techniques of the game and has established a solid reputation as an effective coach in both international and IPL matches.

Reports suggest that the BCCI is considering Zaheer Khan, along with other candidates such as Lakshmipathy Balaji and Vinay Kumar, for the bowling coach position. While a final decision is pending, it appears likely that the BCCI will announce its decision soon.