Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has revealed that he was approached during the IPL about the possibility of becoming the next head coach of the Indian cricket team, a position soon to be vacated by Rahul Dravid. Ponting, who just completed his seventh season as coach of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, experienced a mixed campaign this year, with his team narrowly missing out on the playoffs.
Despite his successful stints in the IPL with Mumbai and Delhi, and a temporary role as Australia’s national T20I coach, Ponting has so far avoided taking on the full-time responsibilities of a national team head coach. However, with Dravid’s tenure nearing its end and India searching for a new leader following their runner-up finish in last year’s ICC World Test Championship, Ponting has become one of several former cricket greats to be considered 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 one-on-one conversations during the IPL to gauge my interest in the position.”
While expressing his passion for coaching at the national level, Ponting cited personal reasons for his hesitation. “I’d love to be a senior coach of a national team, but with the other commitments in my life and wanting to spend time at home… everyone knows if you take a job with the Indian team, you can’t be involved in an IPL team, so that would be off the table as well,” he explained. “Also, a national head coach role is a 10 or 11-month-a-year job, and as much as I’d like to do it, it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle right now.”
Ponting acknowledged that other notable names have also been linked to the India coaching position, including former IPL coaches Justin Langer and Stephen Fleming. “I’ve seen a few other names thrown about as well. Justin Langer’s name was mentioned yesterday, and Stephen Fleming’s has been floated a bit too,” Ponting noted. “Gautam Gambhir’s name has come up in recent days. But for me, considering the reasons I’ve given, it seems unlikely.”
Ponting shared a humorous anecdote about his family’s reaction to the possibility of him coaching India. “My family and kids have spent the last five weeks with me at the IPL, and they come over every year. I mentioned to my son that I had been offered the Indian coaching job, and he said, ‘Just take it, Dad. We’d love to move over there for the next couple of years,’” Ponting laughed. “They love the culture of cricket in India, but right now, it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle.”
