Ponting says he was approached to be India head coach. Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has disclosed that he was approached to become India’s next head cricket coach. However, Ponting mentioned that the demanding nature of the role makes it unlikely for him to accept the offer.
At 49, Ponting is currently the head coach of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has significant television commitments in Australia. Additionally, he serves as the head of strategy for the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia’s Big Bash League and the head coach of Washington Freedom in the US Major League Cricket tournament.
Ponting says he was approached to be India head coach
“I’ve seen a lot of reports about it,” Ponting said, as quoted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) website on Thursday. He explained that there had been some informal discussions during the IPL to gauge his interest in the position.
“Everyone knows if you take a job working with the Indian team you can’t be involved in an IPL team, so it would take that out of it,” Ponting noted. He highlighted that the role of a national coach demands up to 11 months of commitment each year. “As much as I’d like to do it, it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle right now and the things that I really enjoy doing,” he added.
The position of India’s head coach, currently held by Rahul Dravid, will become available after the T20 World Cup in June. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for a replacement to serve until the next 50-over World Cup in 2027. India has not won a global title since the 2013 Champions Trophy, which was under their last foreign coach, Duncan Fletcher from Zimbabwe.
Reports from local media have suggested that former Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir, former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, and Australian Justin Langer have also been considered for the role.
Ponting shared that his son was enthusiastic about the possibility of him becoming the India coach. “I had a whisper to my son about it, and I said, ‘Dad’s been offered the Indian coaching job,’ and he said, ‘Just take it dad, we would love to move over there for the next couple of years,'” Ponting recounted. “That’s how much they love being over there and the culture of cricket in India, but right now it probably doesn’t exactly fit into my lifestyle.”