Cricket Australia Approaches Ricky Ponting For Off Field Leadership Role

Cricket Australia "has wasted no time in trying to lure RICKY PONTING into coaching, approaching the retired batting great's management in a bid to secure his services," according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. His successor as captain, MICHAEL CLARKE, "implored the country's governing body" to ensure Ponting remained part of the structure, saying: ''It's really important that Cricket Australia do everything in their power to try and keep him involved.'' CA Team Performance GM PAT HOWARD said, ''We've been in contact with his agent. It's obviously very soon, but we'd love him involved in some way, shape or form in the future. He's going to have a reasonable amount of time to digest that.'' Howard said Ponting's experience would ''lend himself really well'' to coaching, a belief espoused last week by the outgoing Tasmania coach TIM COYLE. After Coyle said that "this season would be his last in charge of the Tigers," there is a vacancy in Ponting's home state (SMH, 12/6).