‘They are human’: Bowling coach Morne Morkel responds to criticism of India’s bowlers

New Delhi: India bowling coach has defended the team’s bowlers amid criticism after their expensive spells in the ongoing five-match T20I series against West Indies. He pointed to the mental fatigue caused by a demanding international schedule, reminding critics that they cannot be expected to deliver at their best in every game.

Speaking ahead of the in Bengaluru, Morkel stressed the need for better recovery time and urged critics to take a more measured approach to assessing bowling performances.

“I read everything that’s written on social media. One thing that we sometimes forget is that mental fatigue plays a big part. We have to manage that and you have to be smart with it,” Morkel said, pointing out how some cricketers travelled from the 2026 Asian Games straight into the five-match series against West Indies before travelling to Delhi to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and returning for the fifth T20I in Bengaluru.

“And for me, your execution and your skills will be better when you’ve recovered well, when you’ve slept well, and once you’ve mentally refreshed and that is a challenge. We’re going to fly now to New Zealand. It’s a jam-packed schedule there as well,” he added.

‘I’ve got a lot of respect for these guys’

Morkel also defended the bowlers’ occasional struggles, arguing that criticism must take into account the physical and mental toll of a demanding schedule.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for these guys, with the performances that they are at the moment producing for Team India, with the schedule we have. You know, and that’s why I sometimes think we can allow them to make a mistake and allow them to have an off game and not be on them, because of the mental load and expectation on these players,” Morkel added.

The performance of Indian bowlers in the ongoing series against West Indies became a big talking point. The Men in Blue restricted the visitors to 171 in the opening match and won it by eight wickets, but the Indian bowlers leaked plenty of runs in the second game as the West Indies chased down a 251-run target in 18.3 overs.

The hosts then defended 223 runs in the third T20I and won it by 14 runs, but West Indies posted 247 in the fourth game and levelled the series with a 24-run victory.