By Chiranjit Ojha
Sept 11 (Reuters) - Ricky Ponting said the growth of cricket in the United States has not been as fast as he expected, but he still sees potential with the U.S. national team becoming more competitive, and the sport set to feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Former Australia captain Ponting, who coaches Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket, said more effort was needed at the grassroots level to grow the sport in the country.
"It's been a slow-burn so far... if I'm totally
honest," Ponting told Reuters on a video call. "I don't think it's grown as quickly as I'd have expected over the last three years."
However, the 51-year-old said he believed the U.S. to be one of the best markets for the sport to grow.
"I think there's such a great opportunity... for people like me to be involved and help grow the game," he added.
Ponting led Washington to their maiden MLC title in 2024, his first season in charge, but they narrowly lost the final in the next two editions.
"Emotion-wise... hasn't all been plain sailing," Ponting said.
The Australian was particularly impressed by the U.S. men's team, who went toe to toe with test-playing nations in the last two T20 World Cups and earned a famous victory on home soil over former champions Pakistan.
"The U.S. team's now a lot better, lot more competitive... I think once you start having a successful national team, that's when you can also start growing the game at different levels," he said.
Ponting is involved in the sport's growth in the U.S., joining Century Cricket Centres as an investor as they opened their first indoor training facility in New York, with technology that can track a player's performance.
"If the game's going to really prosper in the U.S., we must break into the grassroots level and make the game attractive to young kids coming through primary school that might otherwise have played baseball," he added.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
