Australian greats – Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer have both opted themselves out of the calculations to be the next head coach of India after the position falls vacant post T20 world cup over in the Americas.
While Ricky Ponting says it doesn’t fit into his “lifestyle” right now, Justin Langer says coaching India could be exhausting and the timing has to be right.
Both of them have IPL coaching assignment, which of course is very lucrative gig to let go. Anyone working as India’s head coach, cannot work in the IPL in any capacity.
Ponting, who recently completed seven seasons as the head coach of Delhi Capitals IPL franchise, has been Australia’s interim T20 coach in the past. He did not say whether the feelers for India position came from the BCCI.
“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,” Pointing said.
Langer said the job comes with immense pressure and workload which he endured while coaching the Australian team.
“It would almost be the biggest job in cricket — being the head coach of the Indian cricket team. One, because of the huge volume of cricket, the huge expectation. It would be a great challenge. It would be great fun and it would be a wonderful opportunity to win ICC titles,” Langer said at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai talking to the media after his Lucknow Super Giants played Mumbai Indians there.
Two other high-profile names – Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming, and Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir have also been doing the rounds.
May 27 was the last date set by the BCCI for submitting applications.