Former captain Ricky Ponting criticized the current England team, labeling them as the worst-performing side to tour Australia, especially after their Ashes defeat. He suggested adopting the Kookaburra ball in the LV= Insurance County Championship and highlighted England’s swift loss of The Ashes within just 12 days of cricket, contrasting it with their extended quarantine period before the tour began.

Australia secured the urn with a comprehensive innings-and-14-run victory at Melbourne, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. Ponting, along with other former players, expressed disappointment in England’s batting collapse, particularly their second-innings performance of 68 all out in the Boxing Day Test, which he termed as “embarrassing.”

Ponting criticized several English top-order batsmen, without naming them, suggesting that their techniques are not suitable for Test cricket’s demanding conditions against world-class bowlers. He emphasized that such sub-standard techniques inevitably lead to poor performances, as witnessed in the recent matches.

The aftermath of England’s Ashes defeat has sparked discussions regarding the positions of captain Joe Root and head coach Chris Silverwood. Additionally, there has been introspection concerning the quality of players produced by county cricket and whether they are adequately prepared for Test cricket.