Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has turned down the opportunity to coach Team India as he revealed that BCCI approached him for the position during IPL 2024. The Tasmanian revealed that he would love to coach an international side, but the role doesn't suit his lifestyle as of now.
With Rahul Dravid unlikely to re-apply for the coaching position, the BCCI has already invited applications for the next head coach's role. The likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Stephen Fleming, Gautam Gambhir, and Justin Langer are some of the biggest names in the BCCI's radar.
Speaking on an episode of the ICC Review, Ponting revealed that a few one-on-one conversations happened with the BCCI during IPL, but has distanced himself away from this opportunity
"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."
"Just take it dad" - Ricky Ponting opens up on conversation with his son over coaching role
The two-time World Cup-winning skipper further remarked that his son was ecstatic at the prospect of Ponting coaching India, given how they love the culture. The 49-year-old revealed:
"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."
Ponting is currently the coach of the Delhi Capitals.
