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After a humiliating exit from the ODI World Cup 2023, a series of resignations has started in the Pakistan Cricket Board. While the chief selector Inzamam ul Haq has already resigned middway into the tournament Morne Morkel, the fast-bowling coach for Pakistan, has decided to step down from his role just a month before his contract was due to expire.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made this announcement on Monday following the team's formal exit from the ODI World Cup. Despite the abrupt resignation, no official reason has been provided for this unexpected development.
Morkel's Appointment and Early Success
Morkel took on the role of fast-bowling coach in June, part of a broader reshuffling of the coaching staff that welcomed back Mickey Arthur as the team director who was the head coach of Pakistan when they won the Champions Trophy final against India in 2017.
His early assignments after his comeback showed promise, with a successful Test series in Sri Lanka and a clean sweep of Afghanistan in a series of three ODIs that took place in Sri Lanka just before the Asia Cup. However, the Asia Cup proved to be a stumbling block, as Pakistan failed to qualify for the final due to injuries to key fast bowlers, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.
The ODI World Cup brought a mix of highs and lows for Pakistan under Morkel's coaching. The team started with two wins but quickly lost momentum, suffering four consecutive defeats for the first time in their World Cup history. The campaign concluded with a lackluster performance against England, sealing their fifth-place finish.
A standout period in Morkel's coaching tenure was during the series against Afghanistan and the early stages of the Asia Cup. He had the privilege of guiding three of the world's best and most in-form fast bowlers - Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. This trio, at the peak of their game, showcased their potential in a memorable game against India, where they took all ten wickets after decimating the Indian top order.
Despite assumptions that Morkel, now an Australian citizen, might continue for Pakistan's upcoming tour of Australia, plans have taken an unexpected turn. The reasons behind this change remain unclear, raising questions about the impact of Morkel's Australian citizenship on his coaching commitments.
Morne Morkel's tenure as Pakistan's fast-bowling coach, though relatively brief, had its moments of triumph and challenges. As the cricketing community awaits the announcement of his replacement, the uncertainty surrounding the departure raises speculation about the future of Pakistan's fast-bowling department.
The fans from the cricketing circle had their say on the departure of Morne Morkel as the bowling coach of the Pakistan cricket team which they expressed on “X” formerly Twitter. Some of the tweets of the fans are:
https://twitter.com/syedaliimran/status/1724002998769381828
https://twitter.com/sujeetsuman1991/status/1724008867166896344
https://twitter.com/being_sunny1/status/1724011732115571125
https://twitter.com/nickhunterr/status/1724018920724500732
https://twitter.com/JohnyBravo183/status/1724007134298554708
https://twitter.com/imsachinyadav1/status/1724004294599627156
https://twitter.com/hamxashahbax21/status/1724006416468361521