Ricky Ponting has warned that Marnus Labuschagne's place in the Australian Test side is rapidly becoming untenable, and he believes England possess the depth of talent required to "serve it up" to the Baggy Greens when The Ashes rolls around next summer. Labuschagne, who occupies the No 3 slot, managed scores of just one, 31 and four in the recent home series against Bangladesh that ended in a 1‑1 draw, and he has not posted a Test century in 43 innings.
The 32‑year‑old is eager to secure a spot in the squad for the three‑Test series in South Africa beginning on 9 October, yet his last hundred came back in the 2023 Ashes Test at Manchester. Speaking to Sky Sports News in his capacity as ambassador, investor and global advisor for Century Cricket – a new coaching and talent‑identification hub that is opening a centre in Manhattan – Ponting reiterated concerns he had already voiced while analysing the Bangladesh series for Australian broadcaster Channel 7.
The former Australian captain, now 51, said, "Australia has been a dominant side for a long time, but we have been propping up a few under‑performing players over the last couple of years. Inevitably, changes will be made ahead of the South Africa tour – Labuschagne's spot at No 3 is almost untenable, so the selectors will have to look elsewhere." He added that the team may also want to shift Travis Head back to the No 5 position rather than keeping him as an opener, which could open a door for a younger player to take on opening duties. "It won't be easy against the South African attack, but we have reached a point where we must try something new.
We aren't going to get any worse by making a change, and we might even uncover a very promising talent," Ponting said. England, meanwhile, have already undergone a period of transition this summer. Captain Ben Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket, and head coach Brendon McCullum was dismissed after a disappointing run of seven defeats in his final ten matches, which included a 4‑1 Ashes loss in the winter.
Joe Root has stepped into the captaincy role, beginning his second spell as skipper with a series win over Pakistan, while former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been appointed as McCullum's successor and will take charge ahead of the winter tour of South Africa. Ponting, commenting before England wrapped up a victory over Pakistan at Lord's, noted, "I wasn't surprised to see changes after The Ashes, although the way they unfolded was a bit different from what I expected. With Joe back as captain and Fleming bringing a completely different personality, there is no doubt that England have the talent to really challenge the Australians in the next Ashes." He highlighted England's four‑pronged seam attack – Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson – which has impressed in recent weeks, albeit against a relatively fragile Pakistani batting line‑up.
The former Australian great also touched on speculation surrounding former teammate Mike Hussey. Hussey, who has been linked with the England batting coach role after serving as a consultant for the IPL side Chennai Super Kings during Fleming's tenure, could soon find himself with other opportunities. Hussey played 79 Tests, 185 ODIs and 38 T20Is for Australia between 2005 and 2013 and acted as England's batting consultant during their T20 World Cup triumph in Australia in 2022. Ponting joked, "I saw Mike last week and told him, 'if you take that job I will never speak to you again!' I think I scared him off.
I'm not sure what he's going to do – there might be a role with the Australian team, or perhaps he'll become the head coach of Chennai Super Kings, which would rule out everything else. At the end of the day, we're all coaches trying to do what we can.
He has done the England job before and could easily slip back into it." Regarding his involvement with Century Cricket, Ponting explained that the platform offers a unique blend of coaching tools and talent‑identification technology that could accelerate the growth of cricket in the United States. He is also head coach of the Punjab Kings in the IPL and Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket.
"Being part of a platform that I can use as a coaching and talent‑identification tool, and that helps grow the game in the US, is the main reason I'm involved," he said. "Cricket hasn't expanded as quickly in the US as I expected, but with what we've built, people of all ages can experience the skill aspects of the sport. It's a platform like I've never seen before – the technology is second to none, and I can't wait to see it in action." Century Cricket's global CEO Chris Millard added that the system allows training to be pre‑set for specific deliveries, bowlers and match scenarios. "It really is a global platform that can change cricket for the better.
Players can face a Jasprit Bumrah or a Moeen Ali in any setting they choose. We have the data to make that happen, and if we can scale it worldwide, we will be shaping the future of cricket," Millard said.
In summary, Ponting's assessment underscores the pressure on Labuschagne to rediscover form before the South Africa series, while also highlighting the broader shifts occurring in both Australian and English cricket. The evolving coaching landscape, the emergence of innovative training technologies, and the strategic reshuffling of batting orders all point to a period of significant change ahead for the sport on both sides of the Tasman Sea.