Photo Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @RickyPonting
Former Australian cricketers Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer will leave the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia in Perth midway, as Channel Seven had to make last-minute changes to their commentary team due to the IPL mega auction. The auction, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24 and 25, clashes with the series opener starting on November 22.
According to The Age, Ponting and Langer have opted to prioritize the IPL auction over their commentary duties for the first Test. Ponting, the head coach of Punjab Kings, recently switched from Delhi Capitals to Punjab before the start of the season. Langer is the head coach of Lucknow Super Giants. Both coaches’ presence at the auction is vital, as their respective franchises are in search of a captain.
Ponting, who believed the auction would take place between the Test matches, described the situation as “the worst possible case.” “It’s the worst possible case scenario for me and ‘JL’,” Ponting said. “We for the last couple of months felt that it was probably going to be in the gap between the Test matches. It takes all the pressure off the players from both teams, there’s a lot of players in both teams in the auction.”
Ponting confirmed he would commentate on Day 1 of the Perth Test before flying to Jeddah late on Friday night. “I’m calling the first day then flying out late Friday night to Jeddah. The auction is the 24th and 25th and then depending on how we’re going through our auction, we’ll see when I can return. Hopefully I’ll get back for the end of Perth, and if not I’ll be back on deck for the start of Adelaide.”
Channel Seven confirmed that both Ponting and Langer will return for the Adelaide day/night Test, which starts December 6.
Chris Jones Channel Seven’s director of sport, emphasized the value of their expertise: “The IPL auction involves the world’s best coaches and analysts in the game, and we are privileged enough to have two of them on our broadcast all summer long.” Jones added that both Ponting and Langer, along with Sunil Gavaskar, would provide unparalleled insights into the Indian and Australian players, enhancing the coverage.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
