Albie Morkel Shares His Calm-First Coaching Mindset for South Africa

Albie Morkel is currently working as a specialist coaching consultant for the South African team in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and he believes his role revolves around taking pressure off the players. It is something he always focuses on so that players can perform well on the field without worrying about outside noise.

"When I started my coaching career, I coached as a player. You want to make a difference on the field and you can't. You have to accept that fact (that you're not on the field) and work that way. Playing is about being under pressure anyway. If you're a coach, you want to make a difference in the game all the time, and that doesn't help." said Albie Morkel.

He then spoke about keeping things simple for the players, especially during major tournaments. He believes this approach helps avoid confusion and allows players to trust their core skills.

"My philosophy is that once you're here and you start thinking about technical stuff, that's when you confuse players. It's more about how I can actually take the pressure off them and make them believe in themselves.” said Albie Morkel.

“The players know what they're doing. If it's really serious technical stuff, they need to work on it, but not during tournaments." added Albie Morkel.

When asked whether he is worried about the competitive games that are coming ahead in the tournament, Morkel said that he is not concerned at all, as the South African players have ample knowledge of how to handle pressure games.

"There will be more pressure in those games as you move towards the playoffs. We've got a very experienced group who have been exposed to pressure, whether it's in the IPL or other leagues. International cricket is a little bit different, but these are guys who can handle that pressure. They actually thrive in circumstances where there's a bit more on the line, so I'm not too worried." added Albie Morkel