All posts tagged: morne morkel

India coach on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi debut: ‘It’s not as straightforward’

India coach on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi debut: ‘It’s not as straightforward’

Published by Webster

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has reacted to the growing calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s international debut, saying the team management wanted to back the existing group before handing the 15-year-old his first cap. The former South Africa pacer said there was no intention to bat players out of position and that accommodating Sooryavanshi in the playing XI was not a straightforward decision. “I don’t think there are a lot of factors. We also need to respect the fact that we’ve got the No. 1 batter in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. Sanju was the player of the World Cup and had a great IPL. “As a coaching staff, it’s only fair to show faith and back your players. Yes, there’s a young man knocking on the door, and it’s exciting, but I reckon not just for those two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it’s a good sign that we show we back you guys. “At the end of the day, it’s about putting performances on the board. We also don’t …

Why Kevin Pietersen credits his IPL stint with ‘saving his career’ | Cricket News

Why Kevin Pietersen credits his IPL stint with ‘saving his career’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

4 min readUpdated: Mar 24, 2026 04:39 PM IST Former England star Kevin Pietersen has revealed in a conversation with Jos Buttler how playing in the Indian Premier League and the friendship he forged during the league with Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid “saved his career”. Pietersen and Buttler were swapping tales of playing in the IPL for the YouTube show called “For The Love Of Cricket’, with the 19th season of the cash-rich league in a few days’ time. “The biggest thing that transformed my career was my relationship with Rahul Dravid and the opportunity to call him when I was struggling with left-arm spin. When DRS came in, I was a front-foot player and it just created a whole lot of drama in my life for 9 to 12 months. And the IPL gave me the opportunity to call Dravid and say, ‘Dude, I need help,’” Pietersen said. He then pointed at the now-viral email that Dravid had sent him. The story goes that Pietersen and Dravid shared the Royal Challengers Bengaluru dressing …

Why the Indian team will be tough to read this World Cup, according to Morne Morkel | Cricket News

Why the Indian team will be tough to read this World Cup, according to Morne Morkel | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Come T20 World Cup, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel wants opponents to be least prepared when it comes to how Suryakumar Yadav & Co will be playing their cards with the ball. In the ongoing series against New Zealand, India’s bowling unit has evolved into an attack where bowlers have been comfortable to bowl in different phases. They are being used for even a one-over spell and Morkel said every Indian bowler possesses an X-factor. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, their premier pacer, who has been handed a flexible role, even the spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav have been called in at different times to send an over or two, which has caught opponents off-guard. When they started preparing for the T20 World Cup, it was their priority, he revealed. “That’s a luxury we have at the moment,” he said about the versatility of their attack. “We’ve got a handful of bowlers that can bowl in every situation, in different situations. Part of the thinking for us, leading into the World Cup, was to look …

Team India Coach Defends Struggling Opener: ‘Sanju Is One Knock Away From…’ | India News

Team India Coach Defends Struggling Opener: ‘Sanju Is One Knock Away From…’ | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:January 27, 2026, 18:47 IST Morne Morkel backs Sanju Samson to regain form ahead of World Cup, praising his training as India leads New Zealand 3-0. Eyes are on Sanju Samson for this fixture. (PTI Photo) Struggling Sanju Samson received a significant boost on Tuesday as the Indian men’s cricket team bowling coach Morne Morkel expressed confidence that the opener was just one good knock away from breaking out of his lean phase. Samson has managed only 16 runs in the first three T20Is, with a highest score of 10, while other top-order batsmen like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav have been dominating the New Zealand bowlers. “Sanju is one knock away from getting that confidence, getting that form back. For us, building up to the World Cup it’s important for the guys to find that peak performance at the right time. He’s training well, he’s hitting the ball very well,” Morkel was quoted as saying to reporters ahead of the fourth T20I. Despite it being an optional practice session, Samson spent …

Ab de Villiers on Gautam Gambhir: I’ve known him as an emotional player…generally an emotional coach is not a good thing to have | Cricket News

Ab de Villiers on Gautam Gambhir: I’ve known him as an emotional player…generally an emotional coach is not a good thing to have | Cricket News

Published by Webster

On Wednesday, India was whitewashed by South Africa 2-0 at Guwahati. It has happened for the second time under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as Head Coach after the New Zealand debacle last year. The result on Wednesday has raised a few questions about Gambhir’s role as head coach. Plenty of former players and pundits have been quite critical of Gambhir’s coaching style and tactics. Former South African cricketer Ab de Villiers gave his view on the same as well. “Speaking on behalf of the Indian side, it’s really difficult. I don’t know what GG is like when it comes to leadership. I’ve known him as an emotional player and if that is the case in the change room, generally an emotional coach is not a good thing to have. But it’s not to say he’s that kind of a coach and the kind of leader behind the scenes. There’s no right and wrong. Some players will feel comfortable with a former player. Some players will be comfortable with a coach that’s never played the game before …

‘Morne has helped me a lot’: Shivam Dube reveals role of Morkel’s ‘small small tips’ in improving his bowling | Cricket News

‘Morne has helped me a lot’: Shivam Dube reveals role of Morkel’s ‘small small tips’ in improving his bowling | Cricket News

Published by Parlour News

Shivam Dube may have had a forgettable outing in the third T20I against Australia but it was pretty much the opposite for the big all-rounder in the fourth match on Thursday. While he did concede 20 runs in two overs, Dube also took the crucial wickets of Australia captain Mitchell Marsh and Tim David, both big-hitters who could’ve hurt India after the visitors were restricted to a score of 167/8. Dube said after the match that captain Suryakumar Yadav, along with head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel had devised a good plan for him to execute while bowling. He also said that Morkel, who had played 18 international matches in Australia during his stellar playing career, gave him some tips which proved handy. “When I got the chance I knew that I had to bowl, especially Morne, Gauti bhai and Surya prepared a good plan for me. Morne also helped me a lot. He gave some small, small tips which made my bowling better,” Dube told reporters after India’s 48-run win in …

Why does Arshdeep Singh not play too often despite being highest wicket-taker in T20Is for India? Bowling coach Morne Morkel answers: ‘Limited games now…’ | Cricket News

Why does Arshdeep Singh not play too often despite being highest wicket-taker in T20Is for India? Bowling coach Morne Morkel answers: ‘Limited games now…’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Arshdeep Singh, on his return to the Indian side, picked up 3/35 and has been awarded the Player Of The Match for the side in his third T20I at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Sunday. The left-arm seamer, despite being the highest wicket-taker for India in the format with 104 wickets, has been warming the bench too often. Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel said there are limited games going into the T20 World Cup, and it is important to see how the players react under pressure. “It is not easy,” said Morkel on Arshdeep. “There will always be disappointment in terms of players and selection, but that is something at times that, as a player, is uncontrollable.” “For us, from our side, we just keep on asking them to work hard and try hard and be ready for when they do get the opportunity. There are limited games now leading into the T20 World Cup, so it is essential for us to see how the players can react in certain situations under pressure; otherwise, …

Ranji Trophy: How unlikely Shivam Dube instigated a Vidarbha collapse | Cricket News

Ranji Trophy: How unlikely Shivam Dube instigated a Vidarbha collapse | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Two weeks after England captain Jos Buttler criticised India’s decision to substitute the concussed Shivam Dube with outright quick Harshit Rana during a T20 game, Dube proved his bowling chops with a five-wicket haul against Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy semifinal in Nagpur. His 5 for 49 on the track which didn’t offer much assistance to seamers bowlers, helped Mumbai restrict Vidarbha’s first innings tally to 383, even though Mumbai squandered the advantage with a shoddy batting performance. “Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25mph with the ball or Harshit has really improved his batting.It is not a like-for-like replacement,” Buttler would say. Here he didn’t crank up the pace or bend the ball around the corners. But he probed tight lines and length to prise out his third five-wicket haul in this format. He felt he bowled a few yards quicker than he normally does. “I have noticed that earlier in red-ball games I used to bowl in the mid-120s but in this game, many of my balls have crossed the 130 kph …

Amid BCCI Scrutiny, ‘Strict’ Gautam Gambhir’s Rift With Support Staff Member Morne Morkel Revealed: Report

Amid BCCI Scrutiny, ‘Strict’ Gautam Gambhir’s Rift With Support Staff Member Morne Morkel Revealed: Report

Published by Webster

Gautam Gambhir‘s stint as Team India’s head coach has not been a bed of roses, and neither has seemingly been his equation with his support staff. With Gambhir and his support staff – particularly Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate – under scrutiny from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a report has revealed a dressing room dispute. The report states that bowling coach Morne Morkel was reprimanded by Gautam Gambhir during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour for arriving late to training. As per the report by the Times of India, Morkel had reported late to training due to a personal meeting, but was reprimanded by Gambhir at the ground itself. The report says that Morkel had been rather reserved during the crucial five-match Test tour, and that the onus is on the duo to sort the issue out and ensure it does not hamper the team. “Gambhir is very strict about discipline. He reprimanded Morkel immediately at the ground. The board has been told that Morkel was a bit reserved …