Ricky Ponting Opens Up About Coaching India's National Team
Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has recently disclosed that he was approached about the possibility of replacing Rahul Dravid as India 's head coach .
Having completed his seventh season as the coach of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, Ponting experienced a mix of successes and setbacks, with his team narrowly missing the playoffs this year.
Although Ponting has enjoyed coaching roles in the IPL with Mumbai and Delhi and even served as Australia's interim national T20I coach, he has so far avoided committing to the demands of a high-profile national team on a full-time basis.
However, with Dravid's tenure as India's head coach nearing its end and the team, which finished as runners-up in last year's ICC World Test Championship, seeking a new leader, Ponting is among several former greats approached for the role.
"I've seen a lot of reports about it,” Ponting told the ICC. “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.
"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.
"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."
Ponting is one of several former greats linked to the India coaching position, with fellow IPL coaches Justin Langer and Stephen Fleming also mentioned as potential candidates.
"I've seen a few other names thrown about as well. Justin Langer's name got thrown in yesterday, Stephen Fleming’s name has been thrown about a little bit," Ponting noted.
"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."
Ponting mentioned that his family, who accompanied him during his recent stint in Delhi, had a moment where he discussed the idea of becoming India's coach with his son, Fletcher.
"My family and my kids have spent the last five weeks over at the IPL with me and they come over every year and 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 laughed.
"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."
Having completed his seventh season as the coach of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, Ponting experienced a mix of successes and setbacks, with his team narrowly missing the playoffs this year.
Although Ponting has enjoyed coaching roles in the IPL with Mumbai and Delhi and even served as Australia's interim national T20I coach, he has so far avoided committing to the demands of a high-profile national team on a full-time basis.
However, with Dravid's tenure as India's head coach nearing its end and the team, which finished as runners-up in last year's ICC World Test Championship, seeking a new leader, Ponting is among several former greats approached for the role.
"I've seen a lot of reports about it,” Ponting told the ICC. “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.
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"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.
"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."
Ponting is one of several former greats linked to the India coaching position, with fellow IPL coaches Justin Langer and Stephen Fleming also mentioned as potential candidates.
"I've seen a few other names thrown about as well. Justin Langer's name got thrown in yesterday, Stephen Fleming’s name has been thrown about a little bit," Ponting noted.
"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."
Ponting mentioned that his family, who accompanied him during his recent stint in Delhi, had a moment where he discussed the idea of becoming India's coach with his son, Fletcher.
"My family and my kids have spent the last five weeks over at the IPL with me and they come over every year and 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 laughed.
"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."
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