Welsh Fire want Ponting as Hundred coach in 2026

For the upcoming season of The Hundred, Welsh Fire have chosen Ricky Ponting as their preferred men’s head coach.

The franchise plans to speak with the former Australia captain for a conversation about the role, according to BBC Sport.

Between 1995 and 2012, Ponting, who played for Australia 560 times, combines his work as a television pundit with stints as a franchise coach.

The 50-year-old is currently the head coach of Washington Freedom and Punjab Kings of the Indian Premier League (MLC) in the US.

In the sale of The Hundred franchises this year, Freedom’s owners paid £40 million for a 50% stake in Welsh Fire.

After Gary Kirsten was replaced by Mike Hussey as head coach in 2023, Fire have had three consecutive seasons under his guidance.

Hussey, 50, helped Fire to achieve their best-ever fourth place finish in his first year in charge, narrowly missing out on an Eliminator spot based on net run-rate.

However, Fire have struggled significantly since, and this year they finished at the bottom of the standings.

As The Hundred enters a new era after significant investment in the 100-ball competition, Ponting is perceived as having the personality, profile, and coaching chops to make a convincing debut.

Before taking over the Delhi Capitals, who won the IPL three times under his leadership, Ponting led Mumbai Indians to the title in 2015.

He oversaw Freedom’s first MLC title in the United States in 2024, but they only managed to clinch second place with a close victory over MI New York in the final this year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) approached Ponting, who was born in Tasmania, in 2019 for a coaching position with Hundred, but it never materialized.