'I actually got asked before Brendon took the job' - Ricky Ponting reveals well-kept secret pertaining to England's red-ball coaching role

Ricky Ponting is currently commentating in the ongoing Ashes. Since his retirement as a player, the Australian legend has quite seamlessly shuffled between coaching roles and commentary.

Ponting was announced as the head coach of Mumbai Indians in 2014, and he stayed with them till 2016, helping the team win the title in 2015. Delhi Capitals roped Ponting in as the head coach in IPL 2018, and it has managed to change the fortunes of the franchise since then.

While Delhi have no trophies to show for their efforts, they reached the finals for the first time in 2020. Outside the Indian Premier League, Ponting dons the role of head of strategy with Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.

The former Australian captain recently revealed that he had been approached by Robert Key, who is the managing director of England men's cricket team, for the role of England's red-ball coach. Ponting said that he turned down the offer as he wasn't ready to stay away from his family for a long time. After Ponting refused, England went ahead with Brendon McCullum, who has changed how the team plays its cricket.

“I actually got asked before Brendon took the job. I did take some calls from Robert Key as soon as he took over that job. 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," Ponting told Guerilla Cricket.

“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.”

Ricky Ponting lambasts Ollie Robinson

Ollie Robinson ruffled quite a few feathers with his antics in the first Test. He had arguments with Usman Khawaja during the first Test, on the last day, after giving him a fiery send-off on Day 2. Robinson defended his actions by mentioning how aggressive Ricky Ponting and his men were, back in their time, while taking on England.

Ponting, took offence to being dragged into the controversy, and he issued a warning to the English pacer, asking him to focus on his game, instead of worrying about what happened in the past.

“Some of the things he had to say -- I mean he even brought my name into it, which I felt was a little bit unusual but for me it’s water off a duck's back -- if he is sitting back thinking about me, then no wonder he bowled like the way that he did in that game, if he's worried about what I did 15 years ago," said Ponting in the latest edition of the ICC Review.

"He'll learn pretty quickly that if you're going to talk to Australian cricketers in an Ashes series, then you want to be able to back it up with your skills.”