Bookmakers have listed Ricky Ponting as one of the of the favourites to be England’s next full-time Test head coach.
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The departure of Chris Silverwood from the head coach role was announced on Thursday, with the former England quick paying the price for a 4-0 series defeat in the Ashes. An interim appointment is set to take charge for England’s next Test series, against the West Indies in March.
Former Australia captain Ponting, who has coached the Delhi franchise in the IPL since 2018, has been listed as one of the favourites to replace Silverwood on a permanent basis by the bookies, with Betfair listing the 47-year-old at 5/1 to take the role, while SkyBet have him at 8/1.
Speaking on the Grade Cricketer podcast last year, Ponting expressed a desire to coach Australia, but outlined his concerns of spending time away from the family if he were to take on the role. “I’ve got a youngish family now, a seven-year-old boy, and to give up 300 days a year is just not what I feel I could do,” he said. “That’s where the IPL works so well for me.”
Former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten and Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, are currently the leading favourites in the view of the bookmakers. Betfair has Kirsten at 9/4 and Stewart at 3/1, while SkyBet has the former at 4/1 and latter at 2/1.
Kirsten has publicly declared an interest in taking the role, but only if the role does not involve taking charge in all three formats. Another man who has been tipped to take the job is current Australia head coach Justin Langer, who has received backing from former England captain Michael Vaughan.
Another name listed by bookmakers as a possible contender is Paul Collingwood, who stood in as England’s head coach in their recent T20I series against the West Indies. The former England white-ball captain has been listed at 6/1 to take on the role by SkyBet.
Andrew Strauss, the interim England men’s managing director, has said he is aiming to appoint an interim head coach for the three Tests against the West Indies in the next week.
