Tasmania's favourite son has returned to the fold with Ricky Ponting joining the Hobart Hurricanes.
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The 47-year-old former Australian cricket captain has signed a three-year deal in a newly-created Head of Strategy role which will have him overseeing the search for a coach and have him work on list and match strategy with the selected applicant.
"The competition and the game itself have changed enormously from when I played for the Hurricanes back in BBL01 and BBL02, and I know so much more about the nuances of the T20 game now than I did then," he said.
"I'm passionate about the progression of Tasmanian and Australian cricket across all forms of the game, so to be asked to take on such a critical role for the Hurricanes is really special.
"I'm looking forward to getting to work and securing the best coach for what we need and then building a plan for the team to execute next season.
"With a few tweaks in a couple of key areas, I believe the Hurricanes have the foundations to win our first BBL trophy."
Affectionately known as 'Punter', the Mowbray Cricket Club product played 168 Tests, 375 One-Day Internationals and 17 T20s for Australia, becoming one of the country's most decorated players.
He's played the third most Test matches of any cricketer, made the second most runs (13,378) and captained Australia on 230 occasions in ODIs - the most of any player ever.
The right-handed batter played eight matches for the Hurricanes between 2011 and 2013, scoring 253 runs at an average of 36.14 and also took a wicket, dismissing Sydney Thunder's Scott Coyte with his off-spinners.
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In recent years, Ponting has coached in the IPL, guiding the Mumbai Indians to the 2015 title before taking over at the Delhi Captials, formerly known as the Daredevils, steering them to the playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dominic Baker is pleased to have Ponting back among Tasmanian cricket.
"To be honest, I think Ricky probably just said 'yes' as he was sick of me hassling him to come and join us," Baker said.
"But really, it is such a win for not only the Hurricanes and Tasmanian cricket, but for the league itself.
"In my mind, Ricky is undoubtedly the best T20 strategist in the world, and as a proud Tasmanian, we are thrilled to have him overseeing the direction of Tasmania's team for at least the next three seasons."