Current Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has revealed that the BCCI discussed with him the possibility of taking over from Rahul Dravid as the coach of the Indian Cricket Team after the conclusion of the 2024 T20I World Cup. No other job in the cricket world is as big as coaching the Men in Blue, but the legendary Australian cricketer is still not keen on the coveted role.
Ricky Ponting reveals he is not ready to become Indian Cricket Team Head Coach
Current DC coach Ponting revealed that BCCI approached him during the IPL to discuss about the role of Indian Cricket Team head coach.
“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,” Ponting told ICC.
Ricky Ponting was appointed as the coach of Delhi Capitals team in 2018 and led the franchise to their first and only final appearance in IPL 2020. DC had a solid league campaign the following year as they topped the table during IPL 2021. Earlier this year in February, he was also appointed the head coach of Major League Cricket (MLC) team Washington Freedom.
His profile as a coach is gaining traction. But the former Australian cricket captain revealed that the full-time coach of a Indian Cricket Team requires a 10-11 month commitment, and he is not yet ready to spend that much time away from his family. Also, if he does become the coach of Indian Cricket Team, he will have to cut ties with the Delhi Capitals, and he is not ready to do that either.
“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,” Ponting told ICC.
“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,” he said.
BCCI’s search for Team India head coach continues
The BCCI started the headhunt for a new head coach after Rahul Dravid confirmed that he was not continuing in his role despite being given the chance to reapply for the job. Several prominent names are being circulated to take over the coveted role, especially the likes of Gautam Gambhir (current Kolkata Knight Riders head coach), Mahela Jayawardene (current Mumbai Indians director of cricket), Justin Langer (current Lucknow Super Giants head coach), and Stephen Fleming (current Chennai Super Kings head coach), who are being touted as the frontrunners for the job.
The last date to apply for Indian Cricket Team Head Coach role is May 27. Selected candidates would then be called for an interview with the Cricket Advisory Committee.