IND vs BAN: Morne Morkel issues first reaction after joining India's camp as the bowling coach

India’s newly-appointed bowling coach, Morne Morkel, is quite enthusiastic in his new role, and he is super excited to begin his journey with the Indian cricket team. Having been a coach himself now, Morkel acknowledges his responsibility to set a good example for the players in their lifestyles.

He particularly loves Indian food flavors of puri and dosa. But even as he indulges in such goodies, Morkel highlights the importance of eating right and staying healthy, as he is aware his example might set an example for the rest of the team too.

Morkel said in a video BCCI posted on its website: “I like a bit of puri. Breakfast; obviously, I love my dosas. Milk, malai, chicken, naan breads. But yeah, I think it's also important as a coach that you need to show that you eat healthy, and the rest of the players will follow that.”

Morne Morkel shares the feelings of becoming India's bowling coach

Sharing the feelings of getting one of the best jobs in the world, Morkel recalled the pride and thrill that overwhelmed him. He took some time to fathom the significance of the opportunity and then shared the news with his family, marking it as one of the special milestones in his post-playing career.

The Indian bowling coach said, “So, when I ended the call, I sat for about five minutes in the room reflecting, and I first then phoned my dad. He spoke to me; I didn't even go to my wife. Normally they say go to your wife first, but I spoke to my dad. I mean, being a cricket fan for years and knowing what was going to come, it was quite a special moment for me.

So yeah, I enjoyed it for about five, seven minutes to myself and then obviously shared with the family that this is the opportunity and potentially that that might happen. I'm just so delighted that we've eventually finally gotten things over the line, and I'm here now in the setup, and I'm looking forward to a great journey with India.”

Morkel shares his goals for the Indian cricket team

Speaking about his goals for the Indian team, Morne Morkel feels building strong relationships with the players will be his focus, as a bond developed on trust will ultimately benefit the team.

Morne Morkel intended to find the strong points and areas of growth for each of the players to set a foundation and prepare them for the upcoming season.

The bowling coach said that he has connected a little bit to some of the Indian players doing IPL, but he is now part of the Indian coaching staff, so he just wants to form friendships and relationships, and it is very important for him.

Well, Morne Morkel sounds impressed with the professionalism and seriousness that the Indian players have shown towards the game during his first session with the team in Chennai.

Morne Morkel feels that it is a great challenge to guide them in this high-pressure environment and a good opportunity to share his own experiences from his international career.

Morkel feels his role is to make sure that every player feels confident and comfortable in the team, which will necessarily bring better performances on the field. He said, “My goal is just to get an understanding of the guys, their strengths and weaknesses, and help a little bit with setting or planting little seeds for goals for the upcoming series.”

I'm ready to take up every challenge: Morne Morkel

Morne Morkel insisted that he's well-equipped to help the Indian team tackle the pressure of representing the country not just in terms of results but even in terms of the pride that comes with wearing national colors.

He said that as soon as a player feels that comfortability they belong and they feel comfortable in the space, the performances will come.

Morne Morkel further noted, “India playing for India, wearing the blue shirt, there's a lot of expectations. So, for me, having that experience and going through that is passing on that sort of knowledge and helping them to settle and also feel at home. So, it's about looking after that. And yeah, from there, obviously upscale and get them up to the standard. Feel ready to take up this challenge.”

Morne Morkel Morkel admitted that there are always going to be expectations of winning, and he already experienced such stuff in his playing career, so he can share that knowledge with the Indian players.

The bowling coach said that the India support staff and the players are so lucky that they have quality senior players who will lead the charge, so it's their responsibility to support them and just give them the best sort of advice that they can give.

Morne Morkel signed off by saying, “This is a setup where it sort of operates by itself. So, to protect that and make it better in small ways is going to be the goal.”

⏪ Feeling after being named Bowling Coach
🏏 Goals for an exciting home season
🍲 Savouring Indian Food 😃

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 - 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 🙌 - By @RajalArora

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— BCCI (@BCCI) September 14, 2024