Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has revealed that he was approached for the role of England Test team head coach prior to Brendon McCullum’s appointment.
Following England’s resounding 4-0 defeat in the Ashes series held in Australia in early 2022, significant changes were implemented within the team management. Head coach Chris Silverwood, batting mentor Graham Thorpe, and managing director Ashley Giles all faced dismissal from their respective jobs.
Additionally, Joe Root decided to relinquish his role as captain.
Ponting revealed Rob Key, who assumed the role of director of men’s cricket for the England Cricket Board, approached Ponting to discuss the coaching opportunity.
“I actually got asked before Brendon took the job, there you go. You guys might be the first to find that out — but I did take some calls from Robert Key as soon as he took over that job,” Ponting told Guerilla Cricket.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
When new Test skipper Ben Stokes and coach McCullum took over the reins, England adopted an aggressive and fearless brand of cricket dubbed ‘Bazball’.
Under the Bazball approach of rattling up boundaries and using aggressive fields and early declarations, England have witnessed a remarkable transformation in Test cricket, having won 11 of their 13 Tests and not lost a single series yet.
The Ashes defeat at Edgbaston was just the third loss England have suffered in 14 Tests since McCullum was appointed in May last year.
Before Bazball, England had secured just one win in 17 Tests under former mentor Chris Silverwood.
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