Ricky Ponting Turns Down India Coaching Job Offer; Andy Flower Has no Interest as BCCI Continues Hunt

Ricky Ponting (left) and Andy Flower (BCCI Photo)

Ricky Ponting and Andy Flower have ruled themselves out as possible contenders for the post of next India men’s cricket team head coach. The BCCI had earlier this month invited applications for the role as Rahul Dravid’s tenure expires with the conclusion of the upcoming T20 World Cup in June.

Ponting says he had one-on-one conversations during his time in the IPL 2024 where he was coaching Delhi Capitals. However, he has turned down the possibility citing his current lifestyle and the fact that a full-time coaching role with the Indian team means he cannot be involved in IPL.

“…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.

Ponting did have conversations regarding the possibility of moving to India should he take up the job and his son was quite enthusiastic about the opportunity.

“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,” he recalled.

“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’,” Ponting quipped. “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.”

Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Flower says he hasn’t applied for the India coach’s role nor does he plan to.

“I haven’t applied. I won’t be applying. I am happy with my involvement in the franchise game at the moment,” Flower told media on Tuesday.

The deadline for applying for the role is May 27.

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