Ricky Ponting selects Australia’s 16-man squad for Ashes 2027; chooses two uncapped players

If Australia was about to complete a successful 3-1 Ashes defense at home, the legendary former captain Ricky Ponting looked ahead to the return trip in 2027 England. Speaking 7 Cricketthe 51-year-old icon unveiled a ‘visionary’ 16-strong team that combines a defiant confidence in Australia’s aging ‘Golden Generation’ with the sudden injection of two teenage sensations. Ponting’s selections highlight that while the ‘urn’ is safe for now, fighting in English conditions in two years’ time will require a specialist mix of experienced mastery and fresh, fearless legs.

Ricky Ponting’s vote of confidence on Pat Cummins and Steve Smith for Ashes 2025-26

Despite growing concerns about an ‘aging core’, Ponting has doubled down on his experience. He was emphatically supportive Pat Cummins to lead the side in the 2027 series, dismissing any talk of the captain stepping down despite recent troubles out of trouble. What’s most striking is that he recorded that Steve Smith (who turns 38) and Nathan Lyon (nearly 40), it could be that their historic success against the Duke’s ball and their mastery of the English flight are assets that cannot be quickly exploited by younger players.

The new generation chooses Ponting for Ashes 2025-26

The headlines of Ponting’s revelation focused on two Victorian youths: 23 years old Campbell Kellaway and 19 years old Oliver Peake. Kellaway is seen as the technical heir Usman Khawaja‘s opening slot, while Peake, a left-handed prodigy who dominated the Under-19 World Cup, is the ‘X-factor’ inclusion designed to transition the middle order.

All-round balance for Australia against England

Ponting met the need for versatility in England Cameron Green despite a difficult summer of 2025-2026, during which his batting average dropped to 32.25. Green’s “stiff and rigid” technique can be corrected and that his height remains a deadly weapon on English pitches. To provide insurance, he also mentioned Beau Websterthe Tasmanian giant who is in ‘stunning’ domestic form with both bat and ball.

READ also: Alastair Cook opens up possibility of becoming England’s next head coach

The pace battery and spin contingencies

While they rely on the ‘Big Three’ of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood, Ponting’s side ensure that the pace attack does not remain thin. He mentioned Jhye Richardson And Scott Boland as the primary back-up options, noting that Boland’s ‘heavy ball’ remains perfectly suited to the brutal length required at venues such as Edgbaston and The Oval. In the spin department Todd Murphy was named as Lyon’s designated successor, meaning a ‘passing of the torch’ is ready if necessary midway through the series.

Ricky Ponting’s predicted Australia Ashes 2027 squad for the England series:

• Leadership: Pat Cummins (c)
• Top order: Travis Head, Campbell Kellaway, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith
• Middle Order/Youth: Oliver Peake, Beau Webster
• Wicketkeepers: Alex Carey (wk), Josh Inglis
• All-rounders: Cameron Green
• Fast bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Jhye Richardson
• Spinners: Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy

WATCH also: Ashes 2025-26: Australia and England players unite to give guard of honor to victims of Bondi terror attacks at SCG