Under pressure and on the move: Morkel flags mental fatigue in Indian camp amid 'jam-packed' schedule

India's fast bowling coach Morne Morkel on Friday praised the bowlers for continuing to deliver for the team despite the “mental fatigue” caused by a packed schedule.Indian cricketers have had a busy couple of months, playing several bilateral series as well as competing at the Asian Games in Japan.“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. If you look at this T20 side, some of the players went for the Asian Games, and then went straight into a full series now (vs the West Indies),” Morkel said on the eve of the fifth T20I in Bengaluru.“Then they had to fly off to Delhi for a presentation there (meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and back here in the morning. And, now, we have to get them ready for a game. So, that is the reality and these guys are also human,” he added.Morkel stressed that players need enough time to recover between matches to perform at their best.“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.”With another busy schedule ahead, the former South African fast bowler urged people to be measured in their criticism of the team's bowling performances.“And that is sometimes a tricky thing. So, 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,” he added.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.