Ricky Ponting desires of coaching Australia in T20Is

Ponting is currently assisting Darren Lehmann in the triangular T20I series.

Ricky Ponting | Getty

Batting legend Ricky Ponting, who is currently assisting the all-format Australia coach Darren Lehmann in the Twenty20 Trans-Tasman tri-series, has expressed his desire to become the chief coach of Australia in the shortest format.

In contrast to the 50-over World Cup, Australian team have failed to create an impact in the World T20 thus far. It was back in 2012 that the Aussies had made it to the knockout stages of the global T20 tournament. Having retired from international cricket in 2012, Ponting has already mentored the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians to a triumph in 2015.

"I know Cricket Australia are looking down that path ... I've been talking to CA for a little while about succession planning with coaching in the shorter forms of the game," Ponting quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

"I'm on record saying I'm interested in doing the Twenty20 job for Australia if it came up and I can make it fit in and work. There's a few things I just want to get ticked off from CA first as far as how my thoughts are on how we can become a better, more explosive, consistent team,” he added.

Generally the think tank and team management during Australia’s T20I match is split up with the interim coaches like Trevor Bayliss, Langer and David Saker deputizing Lehmann. Cricket Australia’s mantra is to be a numero uno team across all three formats. And behind the scenes there is a belief the only way they can make that happen in Twenty20 cricket is to make it a restructured and professional department.

"The planning side of it as well is one thing that has to be given the right amount of time to make sure you've got the players and the planning done for each series as well as you can, and even having been around this group the last couple of weeks, how busy Darren and the coaches are is quite amazing, and that's only around the one form, not thinking about anything else.

“There are challenges there for players and there'll always be challenges there for coaches but it's probably inevitable that there will be different white ball coaches to red ball coaches as this game keeps developing," Ponting asserted.

The two times World Cup winning Australian captain has played an instrumental role in shaping up the Mumbai Indians side. It was his visionary eyes that brought the exceptional talents like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya in the scene. No wonder, Ponting has a blueprint ready to get the national T20 side on track.

"There's always challenges there about maintaining high levels of performance, and having just been around this group for the last couple of weeks I know how hard they work and I know all the right things are said and done, it's just up to the players to accept the challenge day in, day out.

“If you want to be a part of the best teams in the world, you have to find a way to improve day in, day out and be the best you can be and drag some other blokes along who might not be reaching the heights you think they can. That's all I've tried to do this week, let everyone know how good I think they are and work with them closely on their games, speak openly and honestly with them and have some fun along the way,” concluded Ricky Ponting.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 10 Feb, 2018

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