MUMBAI – Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has declined the offer to coach the Indian cricket team, saying that full-time coaching does not fit into his lifestyle at the moment.
The Indian Cricket Board is currently searching for a new coach and had approached Ricky Ponting for coaching during the IPL.
The former Australian cricketer confirmed the Indian Cricket Board’s approach, stating, “I have seen several reports regarding coaching; this usually happens on social media and many names come up.”
Ricky Ponting questioned the selection of the Indian team.
He said, “I had brief discussions during the IPL regarding this matter. In the conversations, they tried to gauge my interest in coaching. I would love to coach a national team, but there is a lot more to life.”
Ricky Ponting stated that he wants to spend time with his family at home.
“If you coach the Indian team, you cannot coach in the IPL. Being a national team coach means a job of 10-11 months a year,” he added.
The former Australian captain said that this does not fit with his current lifestyle, and there is still a lot to enjoy in life. He is aware that names like Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming, and Gautam Gambhir have also been mentioned for the coaching role of the Indian team.
He mentioned that his family spent five weeks with him in India during the IPL. When he told his son about the coaching offer, his son suggested accepting it, saying they could shift to India for two years.
Ricky Ponting added that his family likes the cricket culture in India, but full-time coaching does not fit into his lifestyle at the moment.
