England captain Ben Stokes with coach Brendon McCullum during a clean session at The Kia Oval on July 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo/Getty Images) Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said England’s use of Bazball over the past three years was designed “only” for this Ashes series.Ponting said England were unlikely to change their top order as the batting line-up was built for the fast-paced attacking style they followed under coach Brendan McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
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England arrived in Australia labeled an “aggressive” Test side. They plan to score at a high rate using unconventional shots, a method they have been using since McCullum took charge in 2022.This approach produced mixed results, but England stuck with him as part of a three-year plan leading up to this tour of Australia.Ponting told 7NEWS that England’s attacking method under McCullum and Stokes was always shaped for Australian conditions, even if it was presented as a long-term shift.“They’re a side that’s been together for two years (from Ashes 2023) and they’re building on that,” Ponting told 7NEWS. “Baseball, as far as I’m concerned, and I know Brendon fairly well, was only designed for this one series.He added: “It was about trying to find a group of players and a style and a method that would stand up and potentially win an Ashes series in Australia.”Ponting compared England’s preparation approach ahead of the 2019 ODI World Cup.“Go back to when England won the (50-over) World Cup under Eoin Morgan in 2019, it was exactly the same theory they had back then.“They picked a group of guys that they stuck together for two years. It didn’t matter how they did in the previous games, it was all about preparation and confidence for the World Cup and that’s what they’ve done with this team,” Ponting said.He also said that England are expected to continue with Ollie Pope at No.3.“Every series, there’s been talk of Ollie Pope at No. 3 and do we stick with him? Do we get him and bring in Jacob Bethell? But they’ve stuck with what they have now. I’ll be surprised even if (Pope) doesn’t start well if they make any changes to their top-order batting in this series.”Ponting said England faced a difficult task in Australia.“They’ve only done it (win a Test in Australia) four times in the last 25 years and they’ll have to do it at least three times this summer, so I can’t wait to see how they play,” he said. England on Wednesday named their 12-man squad for the first Test, which starts on November 21 in Perth.
