Ricky Ponting named coach of Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been appointed head coach of Washington Freedom in US Major League Cricket (MLC), becoming the most prominent signing of its short history.  

The superstar captain has signed a two-year deal and will succeed his longtime mentor Greg Shipperd, who led Freedom to a third-place finish in the inaugural season.

Shipperd has stepped down to focus on his duties as coach of the Sydney Sixers and the men’s state teams at Cricket NSW – the Freedom’s high-performance partner.

Currently coach of the Indian Premier League’s Delhi Capitals and a popular media pundit, Ponting confirmed last week he was in talks to join Washington but needed to work through logistics. He was announced as head coach on Wednesday morning.

“Cricket is really on the rise in the US,” Ricky Ponting said.

“I’ve been impressed by everyone involved at Washington Freedom and, while it’s a bit surreal to be replacing my mate Greg Shipperd, there’s probably no-one better to set up a successful franchise.”

Washington Freedom owner Sanjay Govil said Ponting’s appointment would help build the league. “As we look to the future, it’s clear that our ambitions require a figure of unmatched stature and expertise,” he said.

Ricky Ponting previously coached the IPL’s Mumbai Indians and has worked in the Australian set-up, most recently as an assistant to former head coach Justin Langer.

The Major League Cricket (MLC) is cricket’s latest attempt to establish itself in the United States and has had significant investment, particularly from the IPL.

Owners of four IPL clubs – Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals – have stakes in four of the six MLC teams, with the other two supported by Australian state organisations Cricket New South Wales and Cricket Victoria.

The United States is also co-hosting this year’s T20 World Cup along with West Indies from 1 to 29 June.

West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran hit an unbeaten century as MI New York beat Seattle Orcas by seven wickets to win the inaugural Major League Cricket title last year.