Sachin Tendulkar Responds To Ricky Ponting's Invite As Coach In Bushfire Cricket Bash

Sachin Tendulkar was on Tuesday named coach of Ricky Ponting XI which will face Shane Warne XI in a charity match -- named Bushfire Cricket Bash -- to raise funds for bushfire relief in Australia. Soon after Tendulkar's appointment, Ponting took to Twitter to congratulate the Indian batting maestro for "giving up time for the cause" and more importantly picking "the right team to coach". With his tweet Ponting aimed at dig at his counterpart Shane Warne, who he will be up against on February 8. A day after his appointment, Tendulkar replied to Ponting's tweet and wrote: "Chose the right team and more importantly the right cause my friend. Hope that the Bushfire Cricket Bash will offer some relief to the people and wildlife in Australia".

Chose the right team and more importantly the right cause my friend.
Hope that the Bushfire Cricket Bash will offer some relief to the people and wildlife in Australia. https://t.co/dx4EnHPNvN

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 22, 2020

The charity match, which aims to raise funds to aid the relief work after the bushfire disaster, will be played as a curtain-raiser for the Big Bash League final.

While Tendulkar will be coaching Ricky Ponting XI, the West Indies fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh will don the same role in Shane Warne XI.

Apart from Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne, several other former Australia cricketers including Shane Watson, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke, Brett Lee will also return to the field on February 8.

Apart from them, Steve Waugh and current Australian coach Justin Langer will also have non-playing roles.

"We are absolutely honoured to be welcoming Sachin and Courtney back to Australia where they both enjoyed a lot of success as players, and we can't wait to have them involved," Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts was quoted as saying by AFP.

Earlier this month, Warne's "baggy green" cap, awarded to Test players on their debut, sold at auction for more than 1 million Australian dollars (nearly USD 700,000) with all funds aiding victims.

(With AFP inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Australia Cricket Team India Cricket Team Sachin Tendulkar Ricky Ponting Shane Warne Cricket