Ricky Ponting unlikely to become India coach

Australia’s former captain and batting great Ricky Ponting has stated that it is unlikely that he will become Indian cricket team’s next coach.

Ponting confirmed that he was approached for the role but he is not ready for a long-term commitment at the moment.

Deadlines for applications for Indian coaching job will close on May 27, after Rahul Dravid decided against continuing in the role.

Ponting’s current commitments includes head coach at Delhi Capitals and television work in Australia. He is also head of strategy at Hobart Hurricanes and head coach of Washington Freedom in MLC.

"I've seen a lot of reports about it," Ponting told the ICC Review. "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.

"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."

Gautam Gambhir, Stephen Fleming and Justin Langer are also in the running for the role.

However, Ponting’s family would love to see the former Australian cricketer accept the head coach role for Indian men’s side.

"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 [Fletcher] 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'" he said. "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."

The BCCI are looking to appoint new head coach for all three formats for three and a half years beginning from July 2024 until December 2027.

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