The Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will not only witness two unbeaten sides clash, but also a rare non-Polish sibling rivalry.
Albie and Morne Morkel, once teammates in South Africa, now find themselves plotting against each other from the rival trenches. While Albie serves as South Africa’s expert consultant for the tournament, Morne is part of India’s support staff under head coach Gautam Gambhir and works as bowling coach.
This is an unusual scenario in international cricket. The brothers often shared locker rooms and combined on the field. Far fewer of them worked together strategically against each other at the World Cup.
But the subplot goes beyond tactics and team meetings. At home, their mother faces a dilemma that neither scoreboard nor strategy can solve.
“No, we don’t talk. I think my mother is more scared than us. She doesn’t know who to support, India or South Africa,” Albie joked recently.
India and South Africa advanced to the Super 8s unbeaten, raising the stakes for their opening encounter at the next stage. Morne admitted that interactions between the brothers were minimal during the tournament.
“I saw him come to the ground. But we didn’t talk much. But I was glad to see him,” he said when asked about Albie.
ANTI-PLANE DRESSING ROOMS
International cricket is full of heartwarming stories of brothers joining forces on the field to become part of the legend of the game.
Be it the Chappells, Ian and Greg, the Waughs, Steve and Mark, the Amarnaths, Mohinder, Surinder and Rajinder, the Pathans, Irfan and Yusuf, the Pandyas, Hardik and Krunal, the Mohammeds, Hanif, Sadiq, Mushtaq and Wazir or the combination of the Richard and Hadle siblings, siblings, siblings, Richard has added to his enduring charm.
There are also exceptions. Sam Curran represents England, while his brother Ben, a substitute, arrives in his native Zimbabwe, as their late father Kevin once did.
But what the Morkels bring is a whole different layer. They don’t go together or compete as players. They are engaged in a tactical duel from the trenches, formulating plans and reading matches from opposite camps.
In terms of cricketing pedigree, Morne arguably had a wider canvas. The tall fast bowler featured in 86 Tests and picked up 309 wickets across formats, building up a substantial body of work. In contrast, Albie became more of a white-ball regular for the Proteas, playing 108 limited-overs internationals.
One of the less discussed aspects of Albie’s career was his role during the early years with the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. In the first five seasons of the franchise, he appeared as Trusted lower order batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the possibility of death bowling, often turning games with late cameos and crucial overs.
DECODING THE ROLE OF THE EXPERT CONSULTANT
When asked to define what it means to be a professional consultant, Albie admitted that he too had to decipher the role.
“…that was an interesting term, expert advisor. I had to figure it out a bit myself,” he joked before detailing the duties.
“I think that’s whatever it takes for the team to do well in the World Cup. So do a little bit of both, batting and fielding, focus mainly on bowling for now.
“And yes, work with the lower order batsmen, swing and stuff like that,” he told reporters in New Delhi ahead of the UAE match when asked to define his position.
For the Morkels, the responsibility is clear. They must act as sounding boards for their respective head coaches, Shukri Conrad for South Africa and Gautam Gambhir for India, fine-tuning matches and preparing contingencies in what promises to be a high-intensity Super 8 match.
Albie believes that his years under Stephen Fleming at Chennai Super Kings shaped his understanding of leadership and longevity in coaching.
“Stephen has been a big influence on me. I think he is one of the few coaches, or maybe the only coach in the world, who has been with the (CSK) franchise for 17 years. That is unheard of.
“So that must mean he’s doing something right. And I’m definitely learning a lot from him, yes,” said Albie, who also worked with him at the Johannesburg Super Kings in the SA20.
On Sunday, when India and South Africa square off in their Super 8 opener, the bond of brotherhood will briefly succumb to professional instinct.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 20, 2026