No official intimation from BCCI over players’ workload management: DC coach Ricky Ponting

Management of the players’ workload is one of the major concerns in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year because of the ICC World Cup scheduled right after the T20 tournament. The national team management is apprehensive about key players receiving injury during the competition that could jeopardise India’s WC prospects and hence wants every franchise to keep a close watch on the workload such players are shouldering.

However, head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC) Ricky Ponting said on Saturday, the opening day of IPL 2019, that the franchise hasn’t received any official intimation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about the management of workload of those Indian players who are highly likely to play in the WC starting May 30. India’s first match in the tournament is on June 5 when they take on South Africa in Southampton.

Ponting, who won the World Cup as Australia’s captain twice in 2003 and 2007, told the media on the eve of the DC’s opening game against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday: “We have had no direct information on them at all. If we look through our squad, I mean if you talk about workload management stuff, you think that the batsmen will be right to play all the games.”

“I am not sure what the directive from the BCCI is going to be on that, but it will be the fast bowlers they will be trying to look after,” quoted the former Australia captain and one of the game’s greatest batsmen.

DC to look after Ishant Sharma’s workload management

Ponting, however, admitted that the team management will have to properly look after pacer Ishant Sharma who could feature in India’s WC squad. He said the lanky pacer “sort of forced himself” into the squad and the DC management will make sure that he is looked after.

“Hopefully, some common sense comes into it and someone like Ishant is available for selection for every game,” he said.

DC squad for IPL 2019:

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