Ponting expects fresh faces in Australian squad for WTC final, Ashes; predicts surprise inclusions

Former Australian cricket captain, Ricky Ponting, has predicted that the Australian squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final and Ashes in England will include some fresh faces. Despite currently trailing India 2-1 and failing to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, Australia secured a place in the WTC final in June with a comprehensive nine-wicket triumph in the Indore Test.

Ponting expects that Australia will take a large contingent of players to Europe for the two-month tour, but thinks that the squad may differ from those who featured in the India tour. He noted that players like Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb were picked for the India tour due to their abilities against spin, but suggested that the different conditions in the UK may mean they are left out.

Ponting also predicts that uncapped speedster Lance Morris and promising all-rounder Aaron Hardie may be surprise selections for the England tour. Hardie's selection would depend on the fitness of Mitchell Marsh, who is likely to be selected as a back-up all-rounder for Cameron Green.

Despite the mixed results in India, Ponting sees plenty of positives that the tourists can take from the series. "All the spinners have performed well and I think at different times, most of the batters have actually shown that they can cope and survive in those conditions," he said. "There are some real positives there. It's just a bit of a shame that it's taken Australia to the start of the third Test match to find the right style of play."

The Australian squad for the WTC final and Ashes is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.