Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting recently disclosed that he was contacted about the English men’s cricket team coaching job before Brendon McCullum. Ponting revealed that he received a call from Rob Key, the director of men’s cricket at the English Cricket Board (ECB), but declined the offer due to his current priorities and family commitments.
McCullum eventually took on the role and, along with new captain Ben Stokes, has significantly impacted the aggressive and entertaining style of play exhibited by the English test side.
Speaking on the Guerilla Cricket podcast, Ricky Ponting shared that he was approached by Rob Key soon after he took over as the director of men’s cricket at the ECB. Ponting’s revelation suggests that he was a potential candidate for the coaching role before McCullum was offered the position. Although Ponting acknowledged the approach, he decided to turn down the opportunity in favour of prioritizing his family.
“I actually got asked before Brendon took the job there you go, you guys might be the first to find that out, but I did take some calls from Robert Key as soon as he took over that job,” Ponting said.
Ponting explained that his decision to decline the coaching role was primarily influenced by his desire to be present for his family. With extensive international coaching and travel experiences in the past, Ponting expressed that he did not wish to be away from his family as much as the role would require. He also mentioned his conversation with McCullum, highlighting the challenges of relocating children in school and emphasizing that such circumstances did not align with his personal preferences at this stage of his life.
“But I’m just not ready for a full-time international coaching job where I’m at in my life. Having travelled as much as I have, with young kids now, I just don’t want to be away as much as I was. And even talking to Brendon, his family is only just arriving today. When you’ve got kids in school, moving them around is not what I want to do.” Ponting told the podcast.
While declining the England coaching role, Ricky Ponting has maintained involvement in the cricketing world. He has served as the coach of the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League since 2018 and previously acted as the interim coach of the Australian national team in 2017 and 2018. Currently, Ponting is commentating on the Ashes test series between England and Australia.
