NEW DELHI: The head coach of Delhi Capitals Ricky Ponting on Wednesday revealed he is relieved and elated to be back after completing the 5-day isolation.
The 47-year-old had to isolate himself after one of his family members tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Delhi franchise, though he tested negative, he was isolated as a precautionary measure.
โI feel pretty relieved to be back outside again, actually after another five days locked in, and obviously missing the game,โ he said. โThings didnโt go well in the game, we had a drama at the end. But, itโs nice to be back outside again,โ he said.
The former Australian skipper stated that the five-day period was a frustrating experience and he broke a couple of television remotes in the hotel room, venting out his frustration.
โItโs nice to be back outside again. Frustrating (not to travel with the team). I broke 3-4 remote controls. 3 or 4 bottles of water might have got thrown into the wall,โ Ponting told Delhi Capitals.
โIt was frustrating. I think I broke three or four remote controls and a few bottles of water might have got thrown into the walls and things like that,โ he said. โWhen youโre on the sidelines, being a coach and you canโt control whatโs happening out in the middle, thatโs hard enough, but when youโre not actually at the ground, it can get a little more frustrating,โ he added.
Till now, Delhi Capitals have won three matches and lost four encounters in the Indian Premier League 2022.
Reflecting on Delhiโs performance so far, he said, โIโve said it a few times this year where there are 36 or 37 overs of really good stuff, and we just let it slip for two or three overs.
โAnd, thatโs the difference in these games. We sort of gear ourselves to not overtrain in the first part of the season, try and build up along the way. But our performances have been win one, lose one, win one. So, we need to start getting that little bit of momentum.โ
The cricketing legend urged his team players to stay optimistic and upbeat about their chances to qualify for the playoffs.
โI know weโre so close to turning it all around. Weโve all got to trust, weโve got to believe, weโve got to stay upbeat and positive. And if we are, things will definitely change for us.
โThe harder we try from here, the harder itโs going to get. Weโre just going to stay nice and relax and keep repeating things weโve been doing. And then results will definitely come our way. We are too good a team for the results not to change,โ he said ahead of Thursdayโs game against Kolkata Knight Riders.
