Ricky Ponting has voiced concerns that Marnus Labuschagne's place in the Australian Test line‑up is becoming "almost untenable," insisting that England possess the quality to "serve it up" to the Baggy Greens when the Ashes return next summer. The No.3 batsman, who managed scores of 1, 31 and 4 in the recent home series against Bangladesh that ended in a 1‑1 tie, has not posted a Test century in 43 innings.
At 32, Labuschagne is eager to earn a spot in the three‑Test series against South Africa slated to begin on 9 October, yet his last hundred came back in the 2023 Ashes Test at Manchester. Ponting, speaking to Sky Sports News in his capacity as ambassador, investor and global advisor for Century Cricket—a coaching and talent‑identification hub launching in Manhattan—had already highlighted Labuschagne's difficulties with back‑foot scoring while breaking down the Bangladesh series for Channel 7. The 51‑year‑old former captain observed, "Australia have been a dominant side for a long time, but they've been carrying a few players through the last couple of years. It is inevitable that changes will be made ahead of the South Africa tour – Labuschagne's spot is almost untenable, so they need to consider someone else at No 3." He added that the team may also look to move Travis Head back to the No 5 slot rather than keeping him as an opener, which could open the door for a younger player to take on opening duties.
"It won't be easy against that South African attack, but we have reached a point where we must try something new. We aren't going to get any worse, and we might even uncover a very promising talent," Ponting said.
England, meanwhile, have undergone a period of upheaval this summer. Captain Ben Stokes stepped away from international cricket, and head coach Brendon McCullum was dismissed after a run of seven defeats in his final ten matches, which included a 4‑1 Ashes loss over the winter. Joe Root has taken over the captaincy and began 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, set to assume full duties ahead of the winter tour of South Africa.
Speaking before England completed a victory over Pakistan at Lord's, Ponting remarked, "I wasn't surprised to see changes after the Ashes, although the way it unfolded was a little different from what I expected. With Joe back as captain and a completely different personality in Fleming, there is no doubt the talent exists to really serve it up to the Australians in the next Ashes." He praised England's four‑pronged seam attack—Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson—who have impressed against Pakistan, albeit against a relatively fragile batting line‑up.
Former Australian batsman Mike Hussey has been linked with the England batting coach role after serving as a consultant for the IPL side Chennai Super Kings while Fleming was head coach. Ponting hinted that other opportunities might soon arise for his former teammate.
Hussey, who played 79 Tests, 185 ODIs and 38 T20Is for Australia between 2005 and 2013, previously acted as England's batting consultant during their T20 World Cup triumph in Australia in 2022. Ponting joked, "I saw Mike last week and said, 'if you take that job I will never speak to you again!' I think I scared him off!
I'm not sure what he'll do. There might be a role coming up with the Australian team, and I've also read a report that he could become the next head coach of Chennai Super Kings, which would rule him out of everything else. At the end of the day, we're all coaches and we do whatever we can. He has done the England job before and could easily slip back into that role again." Regarding his involvement with Century Cricket, Ponting—who also coaches the Punjab Kings in the IPL and Washington Freedom in the US‑based Major League Cricket—explained, "Being part of a platform like this, which I can use as a coaching and talent‑identification tool and to help grow the game in the United States, is the main reason I'm involved.
Cricket hasn't grown as quickly in the US as I would have hoped, but with what we've built, it will allow people of all ages to experience the skill aspects of the sport. It's a platform unlike anything I've seen before. The technology is second to none and I can't wait to see it in action." He described how training sessions can be pre‑set for specific deliveries, bowlers and match scenarios. Century Cricket's global CEO Chris Millard added, "It really is a global platform that can change cricket for the better.
People can face a Jasprit Bumrah or a Moeen Ali in whatever setting they want. We have the data to make that happen, and if we can scale it globally, we will be shaping the future of cricket."