Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has revealed that he was approached first by the England Cricket Board (ECB) to take over the coaching role before Brendon McCullum took the job.
Ponting said he got the call from Rob Key, who took over as the ECB’s director of men’s cricket in April 2022, about the vacancy, but he turned it down.
“I actually got asked before Brendon took the job,” Ponting told Guerilla Cricket this week.
“I did take some calls from Robert Key as soon as he took over that job. 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 that are in school, moving them around, that’s not what I want to do.”
Ponting has coached the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and has assisted former Australian coach Justin Langer during the 2019 World Cup in England.
