Ponting joins Australia’s interim coaching team

Monday, 2 January 2017 00:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Former captain Ricky Ponting has become the third ex-international to take on an interim coaching role with the Australian Twenty20 team next month.

Ponting will join fellow assistant Jason Gillespie and Justin Langer (head coach) for the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka.

All three have been appointed because regular head coach Darren Lehmann and his assistant David Saker will be in India preparing the test squad for the four-match series.

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New Zealand players pose with the ODI series trophy after winning the third one day international cricket match between New Zealand and Bangladesh at Saxton Oval in Nelson on December 31, 2016 - AFP

“I always said when I retired that I wanted to get back involved and what better way to do it than alongside a couple of my best mates in cricket, Justin Langer and Jason Gillespie,” Ponting said in a statement on Sunday.

“We have some incredible Twenty20 talent in this country and I cant wait to work with JL, Dizzy and those selected to have a real crack at doing (something) special for Australia’s Twenty20 international ambitions.”

Ponting, who was considered one of the best batsmen of all time, retired from international cricket in 2012 having scored 13,378 test runs at 51.81 and 13,704 ODI runs at 42.03 in a 17-year career. “It’s exciting that Ricky will be involved alongside Jason and myself during the Sri Lanka series as he was the one man I really wanted alongside us,” Langer said. “His knowledge of the game and the way he reads it, coupled with his invaluable experience as a coach with the Mumbai Indians means he knows the format inside-out.

“I can’t wait to work alongside my ex-captain and friend again.”