Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif recently shed light on the coaching style of Australian legend Ricky Ponting during their time together at Delhi Capitals. Kaif credited Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly for playing a pivotal role in Delhi’s success in reaching the final in 2020. He mentioned that Ponting’s biggest regret during his seven-year tenure as head coach would be not winning the IPL trophy.
Ponting had joined Delhi Capitals in 2018, with Kaif coming on board as the assistant coach for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Ganguly was named as the Director of Cricket ahead of the 2019 season. Kaif praised Ganguly for emphasizing the need for an Indian core in an IPL team to achieve success. He revealed a disagreement between Ganguly and Ponting regarding the acquisition of Shikhar Dhawan from Sunrisers Hyderabad before the 2019 season. Despite Ponting’s initial reluctance, Ganguly’s persuasion led to the trade, and Dhawan proved to be a valuable asset for Delhi.
Kaif also speculated on the reasons behind Delhi parting ways with Ponting, suggesting that the franchise may have felt his game plans were no longer capable of delivering a title. He criticized Ponting’s approach at Punjab Kings, noting similarities to previous coaches in not retaining key match-winners and focusing on having a larger purse for the auction.
In conclusion, Kaif commended Ganguly for his role in shaping the Delhi Capitals team and highlighted the importance of backing Indian players. He emphasized the need for franchises to trust their core players and expressed his disapproval of Ponting’s tactics at Punjab Kings.
