As the team gets ready for the Asia Cup 2025, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel recently spoke out about the value of all-rounders and emphasised their capacity to contribute with the bat and the ball. Morne Morkel thinks that the balance that all-rounders provide to the team might be crucial in crucial games, especially when India plays the UAE in their tournament opener in Dubai on September 10.
The Men in Blue, who participated in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year in Dubai, are among the top contenders going into the Asia Cup.
Conditions are anticipated to be different this time, with team combinations perhaps being influenced by fresher, greener surfaces. India may use a more balanced strategy in this competition, according to Morne Morkel, even if spin was crucial during the Champions Trophy. All-rounders like Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya are expected to make an even bigger role.
“Seeing Shivam [Shivam Dube] as a man who can bowl four overs is always meaningful to me. I constantly encourage all-rounders or their teammates to put a lot of effort into honing both of their strengths. In practice, guys can occasionally fixate on one or go a little mischievous. We want to explore every possibility in this setting. We’re going to need someone to do the work for us on the day,” Morne Morkel informed the press.
Part-time men to work
The need of cultivating part-time bowlers within the team was also underlined by the former South African pacer. He asserts that the team has greater combinatorial options when batters are able to chip in with the ball.
“Yes, we will have offensive front-line personnel. However, it gives us a lot more alternatives in terms of combinations for selection and other things if we can continue to train men to work part-time. Therefore, it’s critical that if men possess such kinds of abilities, they continue to work on them every day in order to get better,” he continued.
The bowling coach went on to discuss India’s recent lack of T20 match time but said he was confident the team would be ready for the task.
“I believe it’s a valid point. For us, it’s simply making sure that we increase our effort and train at a specific intensity when we perform the work. The next step is to prepare for the match combat after donning the Indian shirt. After they cross the line, I’m fairly certain these guys will be prepared to play and give the squad a strong showing’, he said.
The UAE, Pakistan, and Oman are on India’s group stage schedule; the games will be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In order to determine the finalists, the top two teams from each group will move on to the Super Four round.
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