by: Atika Mehboob TN Sport Pakistan:
Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has resigned from his role as the bowling coach for the Pakistan Men’s cricket team, as announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday.
In an official statement, the PCB stated, “Morne Morkel has resigned as the bowling coach of the Pakistan Men’s team. The former South African fast bowler joined the Pakistan team on a six-month contract in June this year.”
“Morkel’s first assignment with the men’s team was their tour to Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series,” the statement added.
The cricket board also mentioned that Morkel’s replacement will be revealed in the coming days. Pakistan’s upcoming challenge is a three-match Test series against Australia scheduled from December 14, 2023, to January 7, 2024, in Australia.
Interestingly, Morne Morkel’s departure comes shortly after Pakistan’s exit from the ICC World Cup 2023 at the group stage, failing to progress to the knockout stage.
Despite being renowned for their formidable pace bowling, Pakistan struggled in this department during the recent World Cup. In their crucial match against defending champions England, Pakistan needed a significant victory margin of 287 runs or 260 balls to surpass New Zealand’s superior net run-rate. However, they fell short, reaching only 30/2 in 6.4 overs and subsequently missing out on the semi-finals.
Pakistan’s journey in the ICC World Cup 2023 was tumultuous. After starting with two victories against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, they faced a sudden downturn with four consecutive losses. This losing streak included historic defeats against Afghanistan and South Africa.
Just when it seemed all was lost for Pakistan, they made a remarkable comeback in the tournament. They secured a place in the semi-finals by defeating Bangladesh by seven wickets and 105 balls to spare. In another surprising turn of events, Pakistan beat New Zealand by 21 runs through the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method, despite New Zealand scoring a massive 401/6 in 50 overs.
