“It Just Doesn’t Fit…”- Ricky Ponting Reveals He Was Approached For The India Head Coach Position

Several names have surfaced for the position of head coach of the Indian men’s national team after BCCI published an advertisement seeking applicants. Ricky Ponting, the former captain of Australia, is one of them. He has since stated that the BCCI approached him about the post and that he was very interested in accepting it.

In addition, Ponting is the head coach of the Washington Freedom in the MLC, where he signed a two-year contract, and the director of strategy for the Hobart Hurricanes.

The MLC tournament comes just after the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. He has experience working with Australia’s ODI and T20I teams.

According to the BCCI, the head coach position would be available for all three formats for three and a half years, beginning in July 2024 and ending in December 2027.

Ricky Ponting admits approach for India’s head coach position: 

Many well-known figures, including Stephen Fleming, Gautam Gambhir, and Mahela Jayawardene, have been suggested for the part. Another well-known figure, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, disclosed on Thursday that he was contacted for the position while the IPL was still going on.

“I’ve seen a lot of reports about it [the India head coach role]. 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 said.

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” Ricky Ponting added.

He said, “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.”

Nonetheless, Ponting has received approaches for this position previously. He disclosed in 2021 that the BCCI had requested that he assume the role prior to Rahul Dravid being appointed. He rejected them back then for identical reasons, pointing out that living on the road for 10–11 months a year and the associated travel was involved.