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Gautam Gambhir (Source: X)
Newly appointed Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is on a quest to create an amazing coaching pool. Gambhir has the freedom to choose his support staff, although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) takes the final decision. Several names have been discussed for various coaching positions for a few days now.
Meanwhile, the latest report from Cricbuzz suggests that Gambhir has requested the BCCI to bring in former South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel as bowling coach. Morkel has been a great asset to the Proteas team in the past and has gained solid experience in coaching since his retirement in 2018.
The Proteas cricketer was the coach of the Pakistan team in the ODI World Cup held in India last year. However, he stepped down from the role months before his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was set to expire following poor performances from the Men in Green.
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Gambhir, Morkel share good rapport since LSG stint
The 39-year-old, who has played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is, has worked with Gambhir in the past. Both shared a good professional relationship with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) when Gambhir was their team mentor. Morkel continued in his role for the 2024 season, while Gambhir moved to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Former India pacers Lakshmipathy Balaji and Vinay Kumar are other names linked with the position of India’s bowling coach. There were reports that BCCI was not interested in Kumar but Zaheer Khan, Global Head of Cricket Development at Mumbai Indians, was being considered for the role.
The new appointment replaces Paras Mhambrey, who did a tremendous job in the last three years under head coach Rahul Dravid. Gambhir also suggested including Abhishek Nair and Ryan ten Doeschate in the coaching setup. Meanwhile, fielding coach T Dilip is expected to continue in his role.