Mumbai Indians Team Boss Ricky Ponting May Become International Coach
Mumbai Indians won IPL 2015 in Kolkata on Sunday. The Ricky Ponting-coached team beat Chennai Super Kings in the final for their second IPL title.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: May 25, 2015 03:09 PM IST
Ricky Ponting has not ruled out coaching an international side. The former Australian captain has admitted he has thought about coaching at the international level and Sunday's IPL win with Mumbai Indians will only boost his motivation levels.(Ponting Overshadows Sachin)
Australians have ruled the international coaching market and Ponting could be a new member in the growing list. A winner of three World Cups and a member of five Ashes series as a player, Ponting's hands-on experience can be a massive asset for any team.(Mumbai Win IPL 2015)
A full-time stint in IPL 2015, easily the most grueling T20 tournament of the world, has certainly toughened Ponting as a coach as the Aussie legend admitted on Sunday the "stressful" nature of the tournament and how Mumbai Indians' victory was one of the "most memorable" moments of his life.(Sachin on a Selfie Spree)
It certainly was. No one gave Mumbai a chance after the team suffered four straight defeats in the opening phase of the tournament. Ponting, backed by a high-profile support staff that included four superstars of the game - Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Jonty Rhodes and Shane Bond - however scripted a fairytale turnaround that finally let to crowning glory.
So what does this IPL mean for the future?
Pushing 40, Ponting said: "Because I was on the road and playing for 20-odd years, just to have that all stop and have no competitiveness in my life was a little bit hard to deal with.
"I love the game and I love working with younger blokes. To come here and have the opportunity to and work with some of the young boys ... you see the joy in their faces today and that's what it's all about."
Ahead of Sunday's final, Ponting told ESPNCricinfo: "You never say never as far as these big jobs are concerned. If the team starts winning a few IPLs, people might start thinking of me as an international coach."
Having been part of the Australian dressing room, Ponting surely knows what a high-profile job entails. Not overawed by the presence of a Tendulkar or a Rhodes, Ponting knows where to draw the lines.
"Everybody is reporting to me and the final responsibility lies with me. It was the same when I was the captain of Australia. I tried to make sure that I had a good understanding with everybody that was operating around the team.
"I think it has worked out well and we have great respect for each other and we haven't let each other down even for a minute," Ponting said.
Post Ponting's success in his first coaching foray, speculation has naturally turned to what is next on the cards for the Tasmanian. But for now, he is happy just to soak in that winning feeling.