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The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final is just around the corner, and the former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has named a Playing XI, which he thinks is the best for the Aussies.

The former Australian captain and cricket pundit didn’t hold back in the latest episode of The ICC Review, where he shared his predicted lineup for the high-stakes clash against South Africa at Lord’s, scheduled from June 11 to 15.

But what caught everyone’s attention? His bold call to push Marnus Labuschagne to the top of the order.

Marnus to Open? That’s a New One

Let’s face it — Labuschagne has been a mainstay at No.3 for a while now. So when Ricky Ponting suggested bumping him up to open with Usman Khawaja, eyebrows were raised.

“I’ve just got a bit of a feeling that Marnus Labuschagne might be pushed up the order to open the batting with Khawaja,” Ponting said.

Now, that’s a big shift — especially for someone who hasn’t opened in Tests before. But Ponting has his reasons. With David Warner now retired, there’s a vacancy, and Marnus might just be the man to fill it… at least temporarily.

The Rest of the Lineup

Ponting’s predicted batting order has a few curveballs:

  1. Usman Khawaja
  2. Marnus Labuschagne
  3. Cameron Green
  4. Steve Smith
  5. Travis Head
  6. Beau Webster
  7. Alex Carey (wk)
  8. Pat Cummins (c)
  9. Mitchell Starc
  10. Nathan Lyon
  11. Josh Hazlewood

Let’s unpack this a little.

Green at No. 3 is a big promotion. While his potential is undeniable, he hasn’t consistently batted that high in red-ball cricket. But if he fires, that’s a game-changer.

Then there’s Beau Webster at six — a pick that’s as exciting as it is unexpected. The tall Tasmanian all-rounder has been making waves in domestic cricket, and Ponting clearly sees something in him.

The Hazlewood vs Boland Dilemma

Every Aussie fan knows this debate. When Hazlewood’s fit, he’s world-class. But when Boland plays, he always delivers.

“It’s a tough call every time,” Ponting admitted. “But if Hazlewood is fit, I think he comes straight back into the team.”

Tough break for Boland, who was instrumental in the last WTC Final, but that’s the kind of selection headache most teams dream of having.

Ricky Ponting also shed light on why the selectors might stick with Labuschagne — despite his dip in form and a lukewarm County Championship stint with Glamorgan.

“I think they’ll want to get through the cycle with the same players,” he explained. “Labuschagne has been through this with the team, even if he’s moving up the order.”

It’s less about radical changes and more about backing the trusted core to deliver one more time.

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