Welsh Fire, for their part, wouldn’t waste any time in chasing former Aussie great Ricky Ponting to be their men’s head coach. They’re hoping to get his knowhow for the 2026 edition of The Hundred. The move comes as the franchise aims to revitalize its performance and believes Ponting’s extensive experience and coaching credentials make him an ideal candidate.
Ricky Ponting, the cricketing legend born in Tasmania, had an insurmountable record. He scored 27,483 runs and made 71 hundreds for Australia in 560 international matches from 1995 to 2012. He had a storied playing career. Beyond that, he found great coaching success, winning his first IPL title in 2015 with the Mumbai Indians. He led the Delhi Capitals to the play-offs three times in seven seasons with that franchise. Most recently, he was at the helm of Washington Freedom’s championship victory in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024.
Ponting’s coaching career has been a curious mix of franchise obligations and television commentary. Right now, he’s the head coach of not only Punjab Kings in the IPL, but Washington Freedom in MLC. He expressed an intention to take the role of England’s white-ball coach by 2024. He eventually ruled himself out for consideration, owing to his time commitments – a hallmark of the international game.
Welsh Fire understood Ponting’s reputation for galvanizing underperforming teams and inspiring the individual players on them. His coaching style as a teacher is vibrant, energetic, and enthusiastic. Coupled with his enormity of spirit, personality, and profile, he is the ideal choice to helm the franchise. In 2019, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), intrigued by his unique style and vision, courted him for a coaching role in England’s first short format tournament, The Hundred. Sadly, that opportunity never materialized.
Welsh Fire has returned to Wales and is looking ahead to the next edition of The Hundred. The franchise, for its part, is all about improving the franchise’s image. Under Ponting’s leadership, they will look to create a culture of winning and go further up the table in this year’s tournament.
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