T20 World Cup 2024: Ricky Ponting blatantly insults BCCI; refuses to replace Rahul Dravid as India's next head coach

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting admitted to being approached by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the Indian cricket team's head coach role. However, Ricky Ponting confirmed that he declined the offer due to his current commitments and to spend time with his family.

Ricky Ponting has been serving as head coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former cricketer failed to guide the franchise to the title. DC reached the final in 2020 but suffered a loss to the Mumbai Indians (MI). The team didn't qualify for the playoffs in the last three seasons.

The World Cup-winning captain also had captaincy stints with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. The 49-year-old was part of Australia's support staff on a full-time basis during the 2019 World Cup. However, Ponting has yet to commit to the demanding role of coaching a national team on a full-time basis.

There Were A Few Little One-On-One Conversations - Ricky Ponting

In an episode of the ICC Review, Ricky Ponting stated that coaching a national team would require him to give up coaching in the IPL and be away from home for a long time. Ponting said that he would love to be a senior coach, but his current lifestyle doesn't align with the demands of the role.

"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 the ICC.

"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," he added.

The application deadline for the head coach of the Indian cricket team closes on May 27, the day after the IPL final. Rahul Dravid is unlikely to reapply for the position after the T20 World Cup. Mahela Jayawardene, Stephen Fleming, Gautam Gambhir, and Justin Langer are being considered for the position.

The next head coach will receive a three-and-a-half-year contract, extending until the end of the next ODI World Cup in 2027. The Indian board is seeking a coach to oversee all formats rather than opting for split coaching arrangements as seen in other countries like England, South Africa, and Pakistan.

Also read: Kevin Pietersen Urges Virat Kohli to leave RCB and join another team to win the IPL Trophy