Ponting said Ben Stokes is the player to watch in the Ashes series
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said all-rounder Ben Stokes is the key player for England's team in the upcoming Test Ashes series. Ponting continued that the Aussies need to block Stokes from performing well to win the Ashes.
“He's a key man and more a key man because I think he's that real heartbeat for their team, a bit like 'Freddie' Flintoff in Ashes series gone by,” said Ponting in a post at cricket.com.au on Tuesday. “Whenever they were in trouble and they needed something, they tend to go to those sort of guys. Australia need to keep him quiet if we're going to win the series."
Ponting also believes Stokes plays cricket with more maturity now than when he first started playing.
“It seems like he's playing with a lot of maturity. He doesn't seem like he's in much of a rush now as he might have been,” stated Ponting. “The thing about his personality as well, he's a big, strong, brash guy with a bit of an ego ... and I think as a younger person probably everything was flat out, one speed.”
“To me, (during the World Cup) it seems like he (was) able to understand situations and play (to these) situations accordingly. That's a bit of maturity and understanding his own game and understanding what his team needs him to do."
England will play against Australia in the 2019 Ashes Test series. The first Test match will be at Edgbaston Cricket Ground from August 1 to August 6.
England currently has -118 odds to win the game while Australia has +145 odds. If you want to know one of the best sportsbooks in the industry to wager on this match, check out Betwala’s thorough Betrally review.
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