Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has turned down the opportunity to become India’s next head coach. Citing lifestyle considerations, Ponting passed on the offer, leaving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with their search continuing. Ponting currently leads the Delhi Capitals franchise in the IPL 2024 season and will remain focused on his existing commitments. The Delhi Capitals finished the recently concluded IPL 2024 season in sixth place.
The BCCI is searching for a replacement for Rahul Dravid, whose contract wraps up after the upcoming T20 World Cup in June. Originally hired until the 2023 ODI World Cup, Dravid and his team got an extension for the T20 World Cup. The soon-ending tenure of Rahul Dravid is making BCCI approach coaches as the deadline to fill up the vacancy for the Indian Head Coach is approaching nearby.
Upon being asked by ICC about BCCI’s approach for the head coach position Ponting said- “I’ve seen a lot of reports about it (him being offered a job by BCCI) Normally, these things pop up on social media before you even know about them, but there were a few little one-on-one conversations during the IPL, just to get a level of interest from me as to whether I would do it.”
Ricky Ponting says head coach doesn’t fit his Lifestyle
In an interview with ICC, Ponting was seen denying the head coach position for the Indian team upon being asked about being approached by BCCI. However, the two-time ODI WC-winning captain denied the job offer and revealed that the job will ‘not fit into his lifestyle’ at the moment.
He said that -” I’d love to be a senior coach of a national team, but with the other things that I have in my life and wanting to have a bit of time at home…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 as well.”
Further in the interview, he stated- “Also, a national head coach is a 10 or 11-month of-the-year job, and 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,”
Remarks over Gambhir, Langer, and Fleming in the race to become India’s head coach
Upon being questioned about the other coaches being approached, Ricky said that I have seen news and posts about other coaches like Justin Langer, Stephan Fleming, and gautam gambhir for the same head coach position.
For Gautam Gambhir replacing Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of India, he said-“Gautam Gambhir’s name has been thrown around a little bit the last couple of days as well. But I think it’d be unlikely for me just on the reasons that I’ve given there.”
Ricky Ponting exclaims that his son asked him to take the offer
“My son even encouraged me to take the job,” Ponting revealed. “They’ve loved being in India and experiencing the cricket culture there.” so when he discussed the offer with his son Fletcher, he was enthusiastic about the idea of moving to India for a few years. Ponting mentioned how his family had been with him at the IPL for the past five weeks, and they visit every year during the IPL Seasons and love spending their time in India.
Ricky Ponting, the Delhi Capitals coach, opened up about the BCCI Offer for the Indian head coach position, said that though the opportunity is tempting he has to deny it as his lifestyle and other life commitments won’t match up with the hectic schedule of coaching Indian Team
The coaching lineup is about to change after the T20 World Cup! Well-known figures like Stephen Fleming (from Chennai Super Kings), Justin Langer (with Lucknow Super Giants), and Gautam Gambhir (mentoring Kolkata Knight Riders) are all said to be potential replacements for Rahul Dravid.
The deadline to apply for the head coach position for India is May 27th. After looking through the applications, the BCCI will invite chosen candidates for an interview with the Cricket Advisory Committee, which includes Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape.
