Is Ricky Ponting the next Head coach of India, The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially announced on Monday that it is now accepting applications for the role of head coach of the Indian cricket team.
Australia cricket legend, ICC Hall of Fame Ricky Ponting has revealed that he was recently approached about taking over from Rahul Dravid as India’s next head coach.
The inquiry came during the Indian Premier League (IPL) while Ponting was concluding his seventh season as the coach of the Delhi Capitals. Despite mixed results this season, with his team narrowly missing the playoffs, Ponting remains a highly respected figure in the cricketing world.
Ponting, who has previously coached in the IPL with both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals and served as Australia’s interim T20I coach, has so far resisted taking on the demands of a full-time national team coaching position.
Dravid, who became the 27th head coach of the Indian national men’s cricket team in November 2021, has chosen not to seek an extension.
Rahul Dravid, the 27th head coach of the Indian national men’s cricket team appointed in November 2021, appears to be nearing the end of his tenure. With the team seeking a new leader after finishing as runners-up in last year’s ICC World Test Championship, Ricky Ponting is among several esteemed former players who have been contacted about the role.
After Ravi Shastri resigned the head coach post, Rahul Dravid took over the charge, led the team to two notable ICC Final appearances (the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and the ICC World Test Championship 2023) but did not secure a major ICC title.
So, the BCCI is considering a return to hiring an overseas coach, aiming to recreate the success of the Gary Kirsten era, which culminated in the iconic ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 victory.
Leading Contenders for the Position of India’s New Head Coach
- Ricky Ponting
- Stephen Fleming
- Gautam Gambhir
- Justin Langer
- VVS Laxman
Is Ricky Ponting the next Head coach of India?
Ponting said to the ICC,
“I’ve seen a lot of reports about it.”
“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 among several former greats who linked to India’s head coach job.
“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.”
“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.”
During his recent stint in Delhi, Ponting had his family traveling with him. At one point, he mentioned to his son and youngest child, Fletcher, the idea of him becoming India’s coach.
“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’.”
“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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