Why is BCCI planning to sack both Morne Morkel and Ryan Ten Doeschate after Asia Cup?

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to sack bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate after the Asia Cup 2025.

Morne Morkel, who was brought in by head coach Gautam Gambhir, has faced criticism from the BCCI for not nurturing any effective pacers during his tenure.

One contentious decision that reportedly sealed his fate was his selection of debutant Anshul Kamboj over Prasidh Krishna for the Manchester Test, despite concerns about Kamboj's fitness, which affected his bowling speed and ultimately India's performance.

Why is BCCI planning to sack Morkel and Ten Doeschate?

BCCI's decision may come primarily due to their underwhelming contributions and failure to meet performance expectations in the Indian cricket team, especially in Test matches.

These decisions come amidst a backdrop of overall poor performance in the longest format of the game, with the Indian Test side suffering heavy defeats in recent series, including a 0-3 home whitewash against New Zealand and a 1-3 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 has not seen significant improvement, which has further fueled the BCCI's dissatisfaction with the coaching staff beyond just Morkel and ten Doeschate.

Ryan ten Doeschate's specific role and impact have also come under scrutiny, with questions raised about the value he has added to the team setup. He was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders team during Gambhir's playing days and then also served as KKR's fielding coach in recent times. But with T. Dilip at the helm, his role has been under the microscope for some time now.

Despite the pressure on the support staff, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, is expected to retain his position for the time being. The BCCI appears cautious about changing the head coach during this transitional period for the Indian team, looking to maintain some continuity while rebuilding the squad. However, the BCCI is also assessing the performances of chief selector Ajit Agarkar and panel member Shiv Sundar Das, whose jobs may be also on the line.