Indian Premier league team Mumbai Indians coach Ricky Ponting yesterday expressed a desire to work with Australia’s current crop of Test batsmen, suggesting helming the national team in the future is something that appealed to him. “I would love to be working with (David) Warner and (Steve) Smith along with some of the young guns like (Usman) Khawaja and (Joe) Burns -- that will be a lot of fun,” the three-time World Cup winner was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“I know I will thoroughly enjoy it, but right now I have the Big Bash commentary and two months with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. The rest of the time I like to spend time with my family.”
But Ponting ruled out taking up a consultancy role and will only accept an offer that had “continuity”. But he didn’t reveal any time frame for the coaching job with Australia, but hinted it might be only after 2019 World Cup. “To be honest, I have not thought that far ahead (to 2019), (but) thinking about it now, my family will be a lot older, the girls will be nearly teenagers then so maybe I’ll want to be getting out of the house (laughs),” he said.
“I love everything about being involved with a team. That is what my life has been about - it is about being in cricket changing rooms and trying to figure out ways to be a better player, or as a coach now I’m always trying to find ways of improving others. If I can improve as a coach this year and I can improve the players, that is a step in the right direction,” he concluded.

Kiwi shock jocks suspended over Stokes prank
A pair of New Zealand radio presenters were suspended yesterday for broadcasting a heated conversation with England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ mother without her knowledge. Radio Hauraki shock jocks Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath had been mocking Kiwi-born Stokes’ role in England’s loss to the West Indies in the World Twenty20 final on Sunday before the on-air incident.
Stokes, who moved from Christchurch to England as a child, conceded four consecutive sixes in the final over to give the Windies victory, making him a target for some New Zealanders.  His mother Deborah called the radio station to take issue with her son’s treatment and found herself talking to Heath, unaware she was on air.
She subsequently realised she had been broadcast live and complained to station owner NZME, resulting in Heath and Wells being suspended for a day.
“Matt and Jeremy are famous for identifying where the line is and then ignoring it,” NZME group programme director Mike McClung said in a statement.
“However putting Ben’s mum to air without her knowledge, albeit defending her son, was obviously well over that line. They’ve been suitably reprimanded, and are off-air tomorrow.”
Stokes moved to England so his father Gerard, a former rugby league international, could take a coaching role. Both his parents have since moved back to Christchurch.

Australia announce Sri Lanka Test tour
Australia yesterday announced their first Test tour of Sri Lanka in five years, with the world’s number one team embarking on a two-month series from July.
Steve Smith’s side will play three Tests—in Kandy, Galle and Colombo—along with five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s, Cricket Australia said on its website, with the team departing on July 11.
Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka:
July 26-30 - 1st Test, Kandy; August 4-8 - 2nd Test, Galle; August 13-17 - 3rd Test, Colombo; August 21 - 1st ODI, Colombo; August 24 - 2nd ODI, Colombo; August 28 - 3rd ODI, Dambulla; August 31 - 4th ODI, Dambulla; September 4 - 5th ODI, Kandy; September 6 - 1st T20, Kandy; September 9 - 2nd T20, Colombo.