Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has shared some advice to star batter Marnus Labuschagne so that he could return to his best form ahead of the second Test of the Ashes series at Lord’s, starting Wednesday, June 28. The 29-year-old struggled recently, scoring a golden duck and 14 in the two innings despite Australia’s stunning two-wicket victory.
In the latest episode of the ICC review, Ponting added: “I would like to catch up with him and have a chat about his batting, because I think what I’ve seen over the last couple of weeks, as far as I’m concerned, I think he’s over complicating things a little bit. I think he has to trust and believe in what’s made him the No.2-ranked Test batsman in the world for the last couple of years and go back to trusting that. That’s all I’d say to him really. I would actually tell him to go and watch some footage and watch some video of when he’s actually played his best, and remember those things and go and do that all over again.”
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Despite having great Test numbers with an overall average of 55.14 in 39 games, Marnus Labuschagne has struggled with consistency recently. He has averaged just 36.63 with no centuries and only two half-centuries in seven Tests in 2023 as well. He also struggled in away games, averaging less than 40 in 17 Tests. Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting also had given advice to middle-order batter Travis Head as well.
“Firstly, he’s now going to be aware that it’s going to happen,” Ponting said. “He’s going to expect that. So therefore I think he has to work at it in his own mind. What’s the best way for him to combat that type of bowling? Is it going to be to take it on? Is he going to have success if he tries to hook and pull balls that are into his body? Does he find a way to be able to duck and weave and get out of the way a bit better and try and wear the bowlers down?”
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“I mean, the thing with these sort of plans generally in Test cricket is there’s only normally one bowler in a team that can do it. And we saw that even the other day with (Ollie) Robinson, he’s not really going to worry you doing it. Stuart Broad was probably their quickest bowler last week. Ben Stokes has been the enforcer for England in the past doing that, but his body’s not going to allow him to do that role for England either. Coming into Lord’s, it could be Mark Wood. They might bring Wood into the team, which offers something a bit different. He’s obviously a lot quicker and bowls a really good short ball. If they’re running in and trying to bowl really fast, they can only do it for three or four overs. If you can get through that, then you’re going to be fine,” Ricky Ponting concluded.
