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Ashes 2019: Ricky Ponting says Australia needs to keep Ben Stokes ‘quiet’ to win Ashes
Ricky Ponting believes that Ben Stokes has become very 'mature' and Australia needs to keep him quiet to clinch the Ashes. More details inside
Former Australian skipper Rickey Ponting on Tuesday praised English all-rounder Ben Stokes and said that Australia needs to keep him ‘quiet’ to win the upcoming Ashes. Stokes played brilliantly throughout the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2019. His contribution in the final against New Zealand helped England bag the mega trophy. Ponting believes he has become more ‘mature’ now.
"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. 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," cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying.
"To me, (during the World Cup) it seems like he (was) able to understand situations and play situations accordingly. That's a bit of maturity and understanding his own game and understanding what his team needs him to do," he added.
Australia’s World Cup-winning captain remarked that Stokes would be crucial for England in 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 — whenever they were in trouble and they needed something, they tend to go to those sort of guys, and Australia need to keep him quiet if we're going to win the series," Ponting said.
"I think it's important that the Australian players don't let him find (form) early in the series. There are certain players you know that you've just got to hopefully get on top early... Stokes is one that I think they need to... make sure that he doesn't get away from (them) — and he doesn't have much of an impact on the series,"
