Cricket Australia looks to lift stocks in short form before World Cup Ponting may be T20 key
CRICKET Australia is deep in negotiations with Ricky Ponting to coach Australia in the blockbuster Twenty20 World Cup to take place on home soil.
Ponting is poised to play an assistant’s role to Darren Lehmann in Australia’s Twenty20 tri- series against England and New Zealand in February, but the bigger goal is to lock in the former Test skipper to help break the country’s excruciating World Cup drought in the shortest format.
CA has made no secret of its desire to potentially separate the Twenty20 coaching role into a specialist position after Lehmann’s contract expires in 2019, and it’s understood Ponting, for so long their prime target, is now in advanced talks to play the lead role.
Ponting is set to return to the high- powered world of Indian Premier League coaching this year when he takes up the head role at the Delhi Daredevils.
Even when he was playing, Ponting was regarded as the premier batting coach in the country, and Matthew Hayden has often spoken about how conversations with the skipper out in the middle mid- innings could get him making critical adjustments on the run.
CA got Ponting on as an assistant for last summer’s Twenty20 fixtures when Justin Langer was given the reins temporarily.
Ponting has clear coaching ambitions and CA believes he is the best brain in the Australian game, but in the past timing issues have got in the way.
The 43- year- old has broadcasting and business commitments as well as a young family so he doesn’t want to be away from home.
For that reason, he is unlikely to throw his hat in the ring for Lehmann’s current role of coaching all three formats, but the more isolated gig of Twenty20 mentor has obvious serious appeal.
Cricket Australia has already forecast its desire to make T20 cricket – in which they’re ranked a lowly No. 7 – an increased focus by making Mark Waugh head selector for the format.
Having Ponting as a regular coach or contributor from now right through to the World Twenty20 to be staged in Australia in late 2020 would help provide a cohesion and direction that has never existed previously.
Usually when Australia play Twenty20 cricket, squads are split up and temporary coaches need to be found, with Trevor Bayliss, Langer and David Saker among those to have deputised for Lehmann in international Twenty20 series over the past few years.
It has been a haphazard approach which is then reflected in Australia’s consistently poor record in World Twenty20 tournaments.
That’s an unacceptable blemish on the nation’s cricketing record, particularly given the overwhelming success in 50- over World Cups.
Cricket Australia’s mantra is to be No. 1 in 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 streamlined and specialist department.