Cricket Tasmania have turned to their golden boy Ricky Ponting to reverse the fortunes of struggling BBL franchise Hobart Hurricanes.
Ponting has been asked to conduct a full review into the Hurricanes’ disastrous BBL campaign after they won just three out of their eight matches and finished seventh.
The former Australian captain, who is also the second highest run getter in Test cricket behind Sachin Tendulkar, will have an ongoing role with the Hurricanes and will review the side’s performance, coaching, management and recruitment structures.
Despite bringing in English paceman Stuart Broad and marquee international Kumar Sangakkara, the Hurricanes struggled to make an impression in the competition.
Sangakkara, in particular, made 16, 15, 12, 22no and three before being dropped for the final three matches.
“He will assume an ongoing role with the Hurricanes that will be announced in due course,” the franchise said in a statement on Thursday.
It comes five days after Damien Wright was axed as coach.
Don Freo
Guest
The reason they gave for sacking Wright was that the "state" model wasn't working...so they sacked those associated with the state programme. Yet where were the state players? Of the top of my head, Dunk was elsewhere, Hilfy, Doherty, Doran, Silk, Faulkner, Boyce...were all at mainland clubs. Keep the players, as The Scorchers have done, and you solve the problem. You also get better crowds because Australia is parochial. We don't like imports, especially those that take the place of a potential gun...as Sangakkara did with McDermott.