'How are they going to get 20 Australian wickets?' Ricky Ponting Skeptical of England's flat-wickets strategy
Edgbaston pitch for the first ENG vs AUS Ashes Test (Twitter)
The highly anticipated Ashes 2023 is slated to kick off on Friday, June 16 with the opening clash of the five-match series scheduled to be contested at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Anticipated to be a fiercely contested encounter, England's enthralling 'Bazball' approach will be pitted against Australia's robust bowling attack and fans are in for some action-packet cricket.
Leading up to the series, England skipper, Ben Stokes, revealed his request to curators for the preparation of flat yet even playing surfaces throughout the Ashes 2023. However former Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, holds a contrasting view.
According to a report by the Times, Ponting said that if England intends to continue with their current playing style, it would be advisable for them to have relatively flat pitches. He added that reports suggest that England has expressed a desire for such wickets and even proposed bringing in the boundaries. However, Ponting voiced concerns about their ability to consistently take 20 wickets if the pitches are indeed flat.
"If England want to play the style that they've been playing, I actually think they probably need to have some flattish-type wickets. I've heard that they want flat wickets, I've heard they want the boundaries brought in. But I think if they do have these flatter wickets, I'd be worried about how they're going to get 20 Australian wickets a game,” said Ponting.
The legendary skipper also noted that some of Australia's top-order batsmen have comparatively weaker records in the UK, while their bowling statistics are quite impressive. He anticipates England's batting to excel but foresees difficulties for them in the bowling department. In his assessment, Australia's bowling attack currently demonstrates fewer weaknesses than their batting lineup.
"The records of some of our top-order batters are not as good here in the UK, but the bowling numbers are all pretty good. I think England are going to bat really well. I think they're going to struggle with the ball, and I think if you look at Australia's attack, Australia's bowling probably right now has fewer holes in it than what the batting has,” added the Australian stalwart.
It is worth highlighting that Australia's quest for an Ashes triumph on English soil has remained unfulfilled since 2001. Nonetheless, recent history has seen Australia maintain a dominant position over England, having successfully retained the coveted Ashes urn since 2017. As the forthcoming series approaches, Australia will want to put an end to their prolonged 22-year wait for an Ashes victory in England.
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