India Appoints Morne Morkel as New Bowling Coach

India has appointed former South African paceman Morne Morkel as the new bowling coach. Morkel, who previously quit his role with Pakistan, will join head coach Gautam Gambhir's staff next month. His first assignment will be the test series against Bangladesh starting September 19 in Chennai.

India has appointed former South Africa international paceman Morne Morkel as their new bowling coach, local media reported. Morkel will officially join head coach Gautam Gambhir's staff next month.

Morkel had previously resigned from his position as Pakistan's bowling coach in November, shortly after the team finished fifth in the 50-overs World Cup in India.

The 39-year-old has a history with Gambhir, having played together at Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and later serving on Gambhir's coaching team at Lucknow Super Giants. Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah confirmed Morkel's appointment. Morkel's first task will be the test series against Bangladesh, commencing on Sept. 19 in Chennai.

Morkel will join a team of assistants including Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, and fielding coach T Dilip. Gambhir, who recently took over from Rahul Dravid, led India to a 3-0 victory against Sri Lanka in the Twenty20 series in Pallekele. However, the team subsequently lost 2-0 in the one-day international series in Colombo.