Ponting urges Oz selectors to 'nurture' top six batters instead of 'quick-fix solutions'

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has called on Australian selectors to show faith in their top six batsmen after undermining their confidence by chopping and changing the order during the recent Ashes series defeat.

Australia's 3-0 loss in England was marked by a string of shattering batting collapses, as selectors dropped players and moved them up and down the order in a fruitless search for a winning formula.

According to the Daily Times, Ponting said that the selectors need to nurture their top six batsmen after deciding them for the return Ashes instead of finding a quick fix for Australia's woes, adding that the current batting crop is a big concern for the team.

Stating that the selectors need to back the top six batsmen in order to release some of their pressure, Ponting also said that the lack of stability and confidence of some of the players does not bode well for either the team or the players themselves.

Backing Usman Khawaja and Phillip Hughes for struggling to convert their promise into consistent form at Test level, Ponting further said that he believes the duo are two of the best players that Australia has got and have proved that over a period of years, adding that short-term fixes rarely happen in international or high-level games.