India's head coach job doesn’t fit into my lifestyle right now: Ponting

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have invited applications for becoming India’s next head coach after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ends after the upcoming T20 World Cup. Ever since there have been numerous rumours about a potential international coach for the Men in Blue. 

It started with Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming, with reports later suggesting that someone like Justin Langer could be a front-runner for the job. As recently as Monday (May 20), the rumours were that Gautam Gambhir could make himself available for the top job.

Ricky Ponting, too, has been approached by the BCCI for the role. However, the former Australian captain has made it clear as daylight that he won’t be running for the Indian top job, and turned the job down. 

"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 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.

Ponting reasoned that the 10 or 11-month travel that a national head coach would have to do is not currently in his ‘lifestyle’, as the 49-year-old has a young family. 

"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. 

"I've seen a few other names thrown about as well. Justin Langer's name got thrown in yesterday, Stephen Fleming's name has been thrown about a little bit. Gautam Gambhir's name has been thrown around a little bit the last couple of days as well. But I think it'd be unlikely for me just on the reasons that I've given there," he said.

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