Ricky Ponting predicts next Delhi Capitals coach, explains why he had to end 7-year-old association

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Ricky Ponting has predicted that the next head coach of Delhi Capitals will be an Indian. Explaining his decision, he said Delhi Capitals are looking for someone who can be available in India with local players for a longer duration.

Ponting's seven-year association with Delhi Capitals ended in July. The Australian great said he had to take the decision to leave the position as it was not possible for him to spend a longer duration in India because of his other work commitments.

However, Ponting made it clear that he wishes to coach again in the IPL, and is waiting for some good opportunities to come his way in the next few months.

"I'd love to coach again in the IPL," Ricky Ponting, who failed to guide Delhi Capitals to their first-ever IPL title, said in the most recent episode of The ICC Review.

"I've had a great time every year that I've been involved, whether that was in the early days as a player or the couple of years I had at Mumbai as head coach there. And then I've had seven seasons at Delhi, which unfortunately didn't really work out the way that I would have wanted and certainly the way that the franchise would have wanted. I think me going there was all about trying to bring some silverware to the team and that didn't happen.

"They made it pretty clear that they wanted to head in a different direction with someone that could give them a bit more time and a bit more availability through the off-season, really more than anything to be able to spend a bit more time in India with a lot of the local players. I just couldn't do that with the other stuff that I've got going on.

"I think what you'll find is that they'll probably end up with an Indian-based head coach. Certainly that's some of the dialogue that I've had with them anyway.

"But I'm really thankful for my time that I had there, met some great people, worked with some great people and obviously worked with some great players through the years as well. So I wish them all the very best but as I said there could be a few opportunities for me popping up in the next couple of months and I'd love to be back coaching in the IPL again next season," Ponting added.

Ricky Ponting says 'No' to England coaching job

Ponting also said he can not accept a coaching offer for the England white-ball team as he wasn't ready to be on the roads with a national team months away from home. He added that his commentary and TV commitments further makes it impossible to take such a taxing job.

"No, I wouldn't ever consider doing that actually," Ponting remarked when asked if he would consider the England white-ball coaching position.

"I'm on record saying that international jobs for me right now are not really where my life is at as there's just so much more time taken up with an international job," Ponting said.

“I've got other commitments as well, with my TV work and things that I do and also trying to balance that out with having a decent amount of home time, which I haven't had much of the last couple of years anyway.

"Coaching other international teams is one thing, coaching England for an Australian is probably something slightly different, but right now there's sort of enough on my plate as I've got a bit more coming up in the next couple of months in the UK.

“Australia's got some white-ball stuff coming up over there which I'll go and commentate, so no, right now if my name was on the list they can actually take it off," he concluded.