Flower not interested in coach’s job, Ponting reveals he turned down BCCI offer

Ricky Ponting and Andy Flower

Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower has no plans of throwing his hat in the ring for the India coach's job, the former Zimbabwe skipper confirmed after his team's exit from the IPL Playoffs.

Rahul Dravid won't be continuing after the T20 World Cup and BCCI has invited fresh applications with May 27 being the deadline. "I haven't applied. I won't be applying. I am happy with my involvement in the franchise game at the moment," the 56-year Flower said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Gambhir in fray

Gautam Gambhir is believed to have been sounded out, but neither the former India opener nor the BCCI brass have confirmed the development.

Meanwhile, Australia great Ricky Ponting has revealed that he was approached for the soon-to-be-vacant head coach position, but he has declined the offer as it doesn't fit into his "lifestyle" right now.

Ponting, who recently completed seven seasons as the head coach of Delhi Capitals IPL franchise, has been Australia's interim T20 coach in the past. He did not say whether the feelers for India position came from the BCCI. "...there were a few little one-on-one conversations during the IPL, just to get a level of interest from me as to whether I would do it," Ponting told the ICC.

Also Read: Team India head coach: Is BCCI's head coach application call a mere formality or genuine opportunity?

"I'd love to be a senior coach of a national team, but with the other things that I have in my life and wanting to have a bit of time at home... everyone knows if you take a job working with the Indian team, you can't be involved in an IPL team, so it would take that out of it as well.

"Also, a national head coach is a 10 or 11-month of the year job, and as much as I'd like to do it, it just doesn't fit into my lifestyle right now and the things that I really enjoy doing," he added.

‘Discussed with son'

Ponting said he discussed the offer with his son and he seemed game for a move to India. "My family and my kids have spent the last five weeks over at the IPL with me and they come over every year and I had a whisper to my son about it and he said, ‘Just take it dad, we would love to move over there for the next couple of years'," Ponting said.

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