Coaches Who Worked With Both India And Pakistan Cricket Team ft. Morne Morkel

The articles talks about the rare breed of coaches who have worked with both arch-rivals India and Pakistan cricket team.

The rivalry between India and Pakistan in any sport is considered to be one of the best exhibitions for the fans. There have been three cricketers in the past who have played cricket for both India and Pakistan. The reason was the partition of the independent India, that forced many to move from today's India to the neighbouring country - Pakistan.

Coaching was a territory which was not exploited by anyone in the past. In recent times, a couple of coaches have worked with both India and Pakistan, One of them was at the helm when India won the World Cup in 2011 and later on coached the Pakistan cricket team. Two former South African cricketers Gary Kirsten and Morne Morkel are the coaches who have mentored both the nations.

Gary Kirsten is the first and only coach to have managed both the Indian and Pakistan cricket teams as head coach. Kirsten, the former South Africa batter, was named at the helm of the Indian cricket team in 2008 and it was under his reign, that MS Dhoni-led India lifted the 2011 World Cup title on their home soil and ended their 28 years of wait. India also became the number-one team in the ICC Test rankings during his stint.

However, on April 28, 2024, Gary Kirsten was named as their white-ball coach. He manages the ODI and T20I squad of the Pakistan cricket team and was at the reign when the Babar Azam-led side took part in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they lost to minnows USA side in the super over, having failed to qualify for the super eight stage.

Newly appointed India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has become the second coach to work with arch-rivals India and Pakistan. Although the sample size of five matches, two Test and three T20Is, is too small to gauge the capacity of the South African, his ability has been visible from the fact that Indian pacers have been more efficient with their output.

Interestingly, Morkel has also coached the Pakistan cricket team and served as a bowling coach during the 2023 Cricket World Cup. However, following Pakistan's failure to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup, Morkel resigned as coach six weeks before his contract was set to end.