145;Why can146;t an Oz be coach?146;

The biggest of them all was Graham Ford8217;s recent withdrawal. Ponting, being a strong supporter of Australia8217;s cricketing structure, minced no words when he said: 8220;I see no reason why India shouldn8217;t have an Aussie coach. The Australians have some of the best coaches in the world and have done quite a good job with a few teams around the world.8221; He also cited examples of Tom Moody and Dav Whatmore to underline his statement.

India8217;s next coach remains a big question. Bigger than that, though, has been a clear reluctance on part of the Indians to hire an Australian for the job. Given the recent squabbles between the two countries, when Sunil Gavaskar was involved in a verbal battle with Ponting and Allan Border, his comments on the late David Hookes, Greg Chappell8217;s controversial exit and the Champions Trophy fiasco when the celebrating Aussies mistakenly pushed Sharad Pawar on the stage have all added to the tension.

A sly smile unmistakable on his face, Ponting chose to comment on the issue by saying: 8220;The sooner India ended this dilemma of having a new coach on board, the better it would be for Indian cricket.8221;

And as far as Gavaskar8217;s displeasure with the Aussies was concerned, he added, 8220;Sunny8217;s got his views, and that8217;s all I can say.8221;

Ponting thoroughly believes that no matter how good a side is, it becomes extremely important to have a good coach, who is mainly responsible in keeping the team together and providing invaluable service in the backroom. 8220;We are lucky to have played under some really good coaches, they have made the players8217; jobs a lot more easier,8221; he said, citing the example of John Buchanan who stayed as Aussie coach for seven years.

On the lighter side, when a few young kids 8212; undoubtedly Ponting fans 8212; asked him if he would be interested in the India job, he said, 8220;I8217;m not retiring yet8221; only to add that 8220;it would be an immense challenge to be an India coach.8221;

For all this time, nevertheless, Ponting refused to come up with any names to help India in their coach hunt. When pressed, all he could end up saying was, 8220;an Aussie can be a good coach.8221;

8216;I can contribute with the ball8217;

A day after the Indian team was announced for the forthcoming tours of Ireland and England, former skipper Sourav Ganguly told a television channel that he would be useful during the tour in more ways than one.

I think I can contribute with the ball. It conditions will definitely help the ball to move around in England. We are going in the second half of the summer and I hope everyone lifts their game.

On Andrew Flintoff8217;s injury-induced absence

Obviously they8217;ll miss Flintoff, who is not a part of their team. Flintoff makes a lot of difference to their squad. But it will be a good series.