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The Joburg Super Kings have appointed former South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel as their new head coach ahead of the upcoming SA20 season. Albie Morkel has been part of the Super Kings family for a long time, and he was previously serving as the assistant coach for Joburg Super Kings.
Now, Morkel’s understanding of "Super Kings culture" has earned him promotion as the head coach of the Joburg Super Kings. The former South African all-rounder has been an important part of the franchise's coaching setup since its launch in the South African T20 league.
Albie Morkel's Super Kings journey comes full circle
Albie Morkel has been a part of the Super Kings family for many years. He joined Chennai Super Kings in the first-ever IPL auction in 2008 and went on to become one of the team's key all-rounders. Morkel played a key role in helping CSK win back-to-back IPL titles in 2010 and 2011.
He is one of the most successful bowlers in Super Kings history, having picked up 91 wickets in the IPL. The former Proteas star also amassed over 900 runs for CSK in the league, where he also represented the RCB. Amid this, Shane McDermott joins Afghanistan coaching staff after Pakistan exit.
After his retirement, Morkel worked as the assistant coach for the Namibia National Cricket Team and then joined the South Africa National Cricket Team as the Specialist T20 Coaching Consultant and then joined the Joburg Super Kings franchise and worked under then CSK coach Stephen Fleming.
Albie Morkel promoted as Joburg Super Kings' new head coach ahead of SA20 2027
Given his experience and being loyal to the Super Kings family, the franchise has decided to give him the big job before the SA20 2027, which will get underway on January 17, 2027. Amid this, Ravichandran Ashwin to replace Ajit Agarkar as chief selector? Here's the truth.
On his appointment, Morkel said he feels proud and honored to become the head coach of Joburg Super Kings after being part of the Super Kings family for many years as a player and coach.
Morkel said in an official statement on the JSK website, “It is an incredible honor to be appointed head coach of the Joburg Super Kings. From wearing the Super Kings jersey as a player to now leading one of its franchises as head coach, this journey is truly special. I look forward to building on the strong foundations we've created together and helping this group achieve its full potential.”
Joburg Super Kings explain why Albie Morkel was picked as head coach
Meanwhile, Rupa Gurunath, owner of the Joburg Super Kings, stated: “Albie Morkel has been an invaluable member of our coaching group over the years. He understands what the Super Kings stand for, has built strong relationships with our players and staff, and has played an important role behind the scenes in player development. We are excited to see him take on this new role and lead the team into the next chapter.”
On the other hand, Kashi Viswanathan, director of Joburg Super Kings, said, "Albie Morkel understands our culture well, having experienced it both as a player and as a coach. His leadership and understanding of the South African cricket landscape gives us great confidence as we move forward.”
Notably, Morkel had represented South Africa in 1 Test, 58 ODIs, and 50 T20Is between 2004 and 2015. He also had an outstanding T20 career, where he amassed more than 4,000 runs and scalped around 250 wickets in 319 matches.
