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Ricky Ponting's Warning Shot At England: "Bazball Won't Survive Aussie Pitches"

Akshita Patel

Ricky Ponting takes dig at England's bazball [Source: @FoxCricket/X.com, AFP]Ricky Ponting takes dig at England's bazball [Source: @FoxCricket/X.com, AFP]

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has warned England ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes, claiming their aggressive ‘Bazball’ style will struggle on Australian pitches. The Ashes is scheduled in November in Down Under this year.

England haven’t won the infamous Ashes series against Australia since 2015. In the last 4 encounters, the Aussies won 2 series, while 2 face-offs ended in a draw.

This year, despite both teams being competitive, Ricky Ponting has given an edge to the home team, Australia.

Ricky Ponting Discredits Bazball Ahead Of Ashes

Talking to The Times, Ricky Ponting was reflecting on how England failed to beat India in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The five-match series ended in a 2-2 draw, with India snatching a thrilling six-run win in the decider at The Oval. 

This result means England has now gone two home series against India without a victory. According to Ponting, the issue isn’t just England’s execution; it’s the conditions they thrive in. 

“I’m as Aussie as anyone and I love watching the way England play. The Aussies embraced it and learnt about it the last time they were here. They’ll have an understanding now of what is a slightly more refined version of what England started a few years ago," Ponting said.

While Ponting admitted he enjoys watching Bazball’s fearless batting, he doubts whether it can consistently succeed Down Under. 

"I think they can [bat aggressively in Australia], and they will definitely try. It’s the way they need to play — it just sets up everything for England, putting immediate pressure back on the bowlers. The fielding side has to adapt really quickly. They probably hold the key in Australia," he added.

Ponting Takes Dig At England With ‘Flat Pitch’ Remark

The former skipper explained that Australian groundsmen traditionally focus on preparing the “best wicket possible” rather than tailoring pitches to a specific plan. However, Ricky Ponting expects the home conditions to naturally favour Australia’s strengths: fast, bouncy pitches with some help for the bowlers.

“It’ll be interesting to see which way we prepare our tracks. I don’t think the Aussies will be saying anything to the groundsmen. They always expected them to prepare the best wicket they could. I don’t really know which way England want it. They probably play their best cricket when they’ve got flatter pitches because that’s what they need for their batting, but in Australia, they probably need something in the wickets to help their bowling."

He also took a dig at England, saying they play their best cricket on flat pitches. Needless to say, Ponting’s remarks are likely to fuel the already heated Ashes build-up.