Ricky Ponting Rejects Offer to Become India’s Head Coach; RCB Head Coach Andy Flower Not Interested
Australian Ricky Ponting and Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower have both confirmed that they are not in the running for the position of head coach for the Indian men’s cricket team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently invited applications for the role as Rahul Dravid’s tenure is set to end after the T20 World Cup in June.
Ricky Ponting Rejects Offer to Become Team India’s Head Coach
Ponting, who coached the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, revealed that he had informal discussions about the role but ultimately decided against it. He cited his current lifestyle and the commitment required for the job as reasons for his decision.
“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.”
He added that the national head coach position demands 10 or 11 months of commitment each year, which does not align with his current lifestyle and interests.
RCB Head Coach Andy Flower Not Interested to Become Team India’s Head Coach
Similarly, Andy Flower, who is currently the head coach for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has stated he has no intention of applying for the position. “I haven’t applied. I won’t be applying. I am happy with my involvement in the franchise game at the moment,” Flower told the media on Tuesday. The BCCI has set the deadline for applications for the head coach role as May 27.
Meanwhile, as of writing this on 23rd May 2024, Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals and Flower’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been eliminated from the IPL 2024. Delhi Capitals couldn’t make it to the IPL playoffs while Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.
19:30 IST
