New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes that Australian selectors will face a challenge when selecting a team for the upcoming Ashes series, with questions surrounding the inclusion of Sam Constas and Marnus Labuschagne in the lineup.

Starting from November 21, Australia will host the five-match Ashes series, which is expected to attract global attention, as it does every year. This series will significantly impact the ICC World Test Championship standings for the current cycle, with Australia aiming for a second title and England seeking their first.

Much of the pre-series discussion in Australia focuses on the hosts’ batting order and whether young talent Sam Konstas will keep his spot in the XI amid an inconsistent beginning to his international career.

Ponting thinks the hardest choice selectors face is whether to keep Konstas or bring back seasoned right-hander Marnus Labuschagne, pairing him with Usman Khawaja at the top of Australia’s batting line-up.

“We know Sam Konstas has been the incumbent as he played the last series in the West Indies, but he’s one that probably hasn’t capitalised as much as he would have liked in those first two (domestic) games.

“These players have still got probably four innings to go before that Test team has to get picked and we’ll have a bit of a clearer picture then.

“Marnus Labuschagne is the obvious one. Marnus, at his absolute best, is in Australia’s best team every day of the week.

“But he hasn’t been able to find his best form over the last couple of years. And it looks like now back at state level, he’s starting to find it again. It is certainly starting to look that way and he is a lot more confident in scoring.

“I think he’s made four centuries in his last six innings, so he’s going well, even though there is still a long, long way out,” Ponting told ICC.

He also noted that Australia had planned the preparation for the series well in advance and decided to conduct the Sheffield Shield games to help players heading into the all-important clashes.

“We are in a really interesting little phase right now with the talk about the selections for this first Test match because it was well planned by Cricket Australia to have four Sheffield Shield games leading into the first Test. Two of those games have been played already. Some guys have been standouts, other guys that are in the reckoning haven’t really taken their opportunity to the maximum just yet,” Ponting added.

— IANS

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