Ashes 2017-18: Ricky Ponting Feels Stark Alastair Cook to Continue

The former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes struggling Alastair Cook will continue to play in the remainder of the series despite poor show on the Australian soil during the ongoing Magellan Ashes 2017-18.

“He [Alastair Cook] deserves to be able to finish on his terms. One of England’s greatest ever players and one of the world’s greatest ever players,” Ponting told Cricket Australia.

Known for his batting display, Ponting stated there is a lot going on within the head of Cook, who further failed to keep things simple while facing the Australian pace arsenal.

“There’s obviously some demons going around in his head,” Ponting asserted.

(Read Also: Ashes 2017/18: Graeme Swann Says Mitchell Starc’s Delivery Was Unplayable)

The veteran cricketer Ponting, who played 168 Tests for Australia adding the latter has been a champion in the gentleman’s game.

“I’ve always said it in this game you never write off champion players and he’s certainly been a champion player,” Ponting said.

The experienced England campaigner and opening batsman Cook is facing the heat in Australia as another blip frustrated the Gloucestershire-based batter which further saw the hosts are closing in to lay the hands on the coveted Urn in Perth.

“Hopefully it doesn’t come to the point where he’s dropped mid-Ashes. But, talking to a couple of English journos there will be mounting pressure on him now,” Ponting maintained.

Mounting pressure has further frustrated the 32-year-old left-handed batsman Cook, but Ponting reiterated the brilliant batsman knows what he is capable of and he subsequently felt England management won’t drop him for the remainder of the two Tests of the traditional series.

“To me, it looks like he’s trying not to get out rather than scoring runs and when you’re in that frame of mind as a batsman I think you’re in real trouble,” Ponting added.

On day four Cook was dismissed on 14 when Josh Hazlewood pick a sensational one-handed catch as the former got the leading edge which saw the red-ball returning straight back to the bowler.

Interestingly, in six innings so far of the ongoing Ashes series, Cook managed to score unhealthy 83.

Ponting observed Cook is playing deeper in the crease while applying for the defensive approach other than going for the attack.

Ponting has further witnessed that the dip in form might put Cook out of the contention for the Test side even after being the leading run-scorer in the traditional format for England.

The 42-year-old Ponting has further praised the efforts of Alastair while donning the white jersey in the recent past and believes he is past his best years of the game.

“You’d think what he’s done as a player; 150 games and nearly 12,000 runs and an average of 45 as an opener, it’s a pretty amazing record,” Ponting further remarked.

(Read Further: Twitter Reactions: Australia Inch Closer to Reclaiming the Ashes After Sensational Day 4)

So much so, bleak-looking Cook didn’t go past 40 runs since his past ten innings which further saw him hanging back into the crease even after having such a decent record under his belt.

“It looks to me like he’s just hanging on a little bit,” Ponting concluded.

It’s pertinent to the point that Joe Root has also struggled in this series as his average is below 30 which according to potential is considered as stark.

However, Ponting believes the hosts have managed things well while giving all-round performances and that stands out best between both the team with hosts’ skipper Steven Smith scoring runs at will.