Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting thinks that only three Aussie batsmen from the Ashes series are certain to start the upcoming home series against Pakistan this summer. According to him, in-form batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are an ‘absolute lock,’ with David Warner being the other one despite having a bad Ashes.

Ponting told cricket.co.au, "Warner's going to be a lock, I don't care if he gets another duck in the second innings of this Test match, he's going to be a lock for the Australian summer.”

David Warner managed to reach double figures only twice in the Ashes and was dismissed thrice on a duck. England’s Stuart Broad was seen dismissing him seven times out of the ten innings in the five-match series.

Read: What's more certain than Steve Smith firing? Broad dismissing Warner

"(There are) still question marks around the guys in the middle, (Matthew) Wade and (Travis) Head. (Opener Marcus) Harris has looked tested against good quality fast bowling in this series. (Tim) Paine will continue as the captain but there are a few spots in the batting order that they'll be thinking about for the Pakistan series,” added Ponting, when talking about the middle order.

He also suggested handing a debut to Will Pucovski, who had a wonderful first-class season playing for the Victoria side. He was a part of the Test squad against Sri Lanka but couldn’t make it to the playing eleven.

"With so many gaps like that, I'd like to see somebody like a Pucovski get an opportunity.

"Everyone's talked about him for a long time. He was in the Test squad back in Australia, he was in Australia A squad over here.

"He hasn't got an opportunity yet but apparently he's quite an impressive young man.

"A couple of years before the next Ashes series you want to try and blood someone in that No.6 role and he'd be the obvious candidate."

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Glyn Kirk

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David WarnerThe Ashes, 2019Steve SmithAustraliaEngland The Ashes