3 IPL coaches who rejected international team coaching jobs

Not only the players but even the coaches also have to decide between franchise and international cricket in their respective careers. With the cricketing schedule getting thinner by the minute, it has become incredibly difficult for players and coaches to choose one over the other. 

Over the past few years, there have been several instances where coaches have turned down the opportunity to take charge of an international side due to their ongoing commitments to franchise cricket. These decisions have largely coincided with the tremendous growth of the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the past few years. 

Here are three well-renowned coaches who declined international coaching gigs to remain with their franchise side:

3. Andy Flower – England’s Test side

The most recent entry on the list, former Zimbabwe batter Andy Flower, turned down the opportunity to coach England’s Test side. This came after Brendon McCullum stepped down from his role following the Three Lions’ home defeat to New Zealand. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had Flower at the top of their shortlist to replace the former Black Caps captain. 

According to reports, the ECB would have permitted Flower to continue with his franchise responsibilities with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and miss certain Test matches. The 58-year-old, however, rejected the proposal and decided to stick to his duties in the IPL along with his role as head coach for the London Spirit franchise in The Hundred.

2. Ricky Ponting – India

In the wake of replacing Rahul Dravid as India’s all-format head coach, Ricky Ponting had revealed that he was approached by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take over the role from the former batter. The Australian, however, declined the offer due to a plethora of things on his plate during early 2024.

Despite wanting to coach an international side, Ponting stated that the timing was not right. The former captain was in charge of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, was the Head of Strategy for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League and had signed a two-year deal to become coach of the Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket in the United States.

1. Ashish Nehra – India’s T20 side

Ashish Nehra had an excellent start to his coaching career in the IPL with the new franchise, the Gujarat Titans. In their debut season, the Ahmedabad-based outfit won their maiden title, beating Rajasthan Royals in the final on home soil.

Due to his meteoric rise as a coach in the IPL, it was only natural that the BCCI were interested in securing his services as India’s T20I coach. The former left-arm pacer, however, rejected the offer to honour his contract with the Titans. Nehra also had a young family and wanted to spend time with them rather than live out of a suitcase, coaching the Men in Blue.