Ricky Ponting in the USA: Australia great named Washington Freedom coach in Major League Cricket
Washington Freedom has confirmed legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting as their head coach for the upcoming edition of Major League Cricket.
The Washington DC based team roped Ponting in after Greg Shipperd stepped down from his position following the inaugural season last year. Shipperd, who is also the coach of the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL), resigned as Freedom’s coach to put more focus on domestic cricket in Australia.
On his appointment, Ponting showed excitement and also lauded his longtime mentor Shipperd for laying a platform for the Freedom to become a successful team.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Washington Freedom in 2024. Cricket is really on the rise in the US, and I’m looking forward to being involved in Major League Cricket,” 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. I’m ready to build on his work as we look towards the coming season.”
General Manager of Cricket at Freedom, Michael Klinger, also the head coach of the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), was delighted with Ponting’s new role with the MLC team.
“Ricky was one of the most recognised and revered cricketers in the world during his playing days and is now one of the most respected and coveted coaches on the global circuit,” Klinger said.
How did Washington Freedom perform in MLC 2023?
Under Shipperd, the Freedom finished third in the table last season with six points and a net run rate of +0.097 thanks to wins in three out of five matches. They lost to MI New York by 16 runs in the Eliminator and crashed out of the tournament.
Matthew Short was their leading run-scorer after he racked up 152 runs from six matches at an average of 25.33 and a strike-rate of 125.61 with a top score of 80 to his name.
USA fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar finished as their top wicket-taker with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.28.