Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting expressed the view that Marnus Labuschagne's position in the Test squad has become 'almost untenable' after a long period of poor form. He strongly urged selectors to make decisive changes before the three-match Test tour in South Africa in October.
Labuschagne, who is 32 years old, scored only one, 31, and four runs during Australia's recent match against Bangladesh, which ended in a 1-1 series draw at home. This number three batsman has not scored a century in 43 Test matches, with his last major score coming against England in the Ashes match in Manchester in July 2023.
Ponting told Sky Sports News on Monday: 'It was a very dominant team for a long time, but I think in the last couple of years they have relied on a few players. I believe there will inevitably be changes on the trip to South Africa — Labuschagne's place in the team is almost untenable, so they need to consider someone at number three.'
He also suggested that bringing back pace bowler Travis Head to a more familiar middle-order position could open up an opportunity to introduce fresh blood into the batting lineup. This is relevant ahead of the Test series starting on October 9th in Durban.
Ponting added: 'Ultimately, they will also want to bring Travis Head back to number five, rather than opening, so this could create a chance for a young player to open. It will be tough against the South African attack, but we have reached a point where we must try something. I don't think we can get worse or lose anything, and perhaps discover a truly talented player.'
Commenting on rumours that his former teammate Mick Hussey might be appointed as the new England batting coach, Ponting joked that he tried to dissuade his compatriot from the role under the newly appointed head coach Stephen Fleming. He stated: 'I saw Mick Hussey last week and said, 'If you take this job, I will never speak to you again!' I think I scared him! I'm not sure what he's going to do. I think he might have a development role in the Australian team, so I'm unsure of his status.'
Furthermore, he mentioned reading a report that Hussey could become the next head coach of Chennai Super Kings, which could rule him out of any projects. Ponting concluded: 'In the end, we are all coaches and we do what we can. He did it before and can easily return to that role.'