Ricky Ponting, the former captain of Australia, has expressed his belief that the introduction of Bazball in English cricket was specifically aimed at the upcoming Ashes series. Ponting, who is now 48 years old, is excited for the five-match series to commence at Edgbaston and finds England’s new approach to Test cricket, led by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, to be “refreshing.”

According to Ponting, England has adopted this style of play in recent years with the Ashes series in mind. Their objective is to develop a brand of cricket that can secure victory in the Ashes. Ponting appreciates the “win at all cost” mentality that England has displayed, noting that while they still care about the game, winning takes priority. He believes that this strategy could be successful and expects England to pursue it vigorously. Consequently, Ponting suggests that the Australian bowling attack should be prepared for this approach and shares some insights into what he would do if he were an Australian fast bowler or advising them on how to bowl to the English batsmen, as he stated in an interview with ICC.