Ponting Says Bazball Was Built Only to Win Ashes in Australia

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has delivered a stinging assessment of England’s Bazball revolution, claiming the ultra-aggressive Test cricket approach was engineered with one objective — winning the Ashes on Australian soil. He further accused England of being publicly “dishonest” about the true nature and results of their high-risk gameplay.

In an interview with 7NEWS, Ponting said England’s transformation under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes since 2022 has always been about preparing a squad capable of competing in Australian conditions. Despite being marketed as a long-term philosophy, Ponting believes its design is far more targeted.

“They’ve been together for two years building towards this,” Ponting said. “Bazball, as far as I’m concerned, was created only for this one series — to win Test matches in Australia.”

He noted that England have managed only four wins in Australia over the past 25 years and must win at least three Tests this summer to reclaim the Ashes.

A Strategy That Has Quietly Evolved

Ponting said the team’s approach has shifted since failing to win the 2023 Ashes at home. When the Bazball era began, England played with pure recklessness — high strike rates, risky shots and unconventional field manipulation. But over time, he believes they have toned down the extremities.

“I think it has changed slightly. In its inception, it was much more reckless. Now they’re picking their moments better,” Ponting said.

He added that senior players like Joe Root and Ben Stokes have moderated their aggression, while openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett continue to embrace Bazball with full intent.

Australia Preparing for Predictable Aggression

Ponting expects England to stick to their identity, recalling how Zak Crawley smashed the first ball of the 2023 Ashes for four despite a defensive field.

“They won’t change. When you talk about your style of play this much, you can’t abandon it now,” he said.

He believes England could even bowl first in Australian conditions, trusting themselves to out-bat the opposition in the fourth innings — a hallmark of their new mindset.

This, Ponting suggested, is where Australia can counter-attack:
“Knowing they have to come ultra-aggressive gives Australia room to set traps and make their egos work against them.”

'Dishonest' Media Messaging, Says Ponting

Ponting also criticised England’s public statements, calling their messaging a deflection tactic to avoid scrutiny.

“This whole thing about not caring if they lose is rubbish,” he said. “You don’t play professional sport without caring.”

He argued that England’s insistence on backing their method in public is a shield against criticism, one that ignores their inconsistent results.

“They’ll get bowled out for 100 and say they’ll go even harder tomorrow. Rightio, let’s see it then.”

Ponting contrasted this with Australia’s culture of internal and external honesty:
“We admitted when we weren’t good enough or made wrong decisions. I don’t see England doing that openly.”

With the Ashes approaching, Ponting’s comments add a charged layer to what is already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated series in recent years.