Ponting warns against early Ashes forecast

Former Test captain Ricky Ponting says while Australia would struggle to regain the Ashes if the series was held this summer, they shouldn't panic ahead of their 2017-18 showdown against England.

Australia are on the verge of their fifth consecutive Test loss, having suffered a 3-0 series whitewash in Sri Lanka and losing the summer-opening Test against South Africa in Perth before being skittled for 85 by the Proteas in the ongoing second Commonwealth Bank Test in Hobart.

Things are looking comparatively rosy for England who, despite stuttering to a 1-1 series stalemate in Bangladesh, largely had the better of India in the drawn first match of their five-Test series in Rajkot.

"Right now, you would think the England team are playing better than current Australian team," the 41-year-old told BT Sport.

"(But) anything could happen with the Aussie team between now and 12 months' time when England will be in Australia.

"You'd like to think we have a few of those fast bowlers back from injury and there might be a few different batsmen in that batting line-up.

"The bottom line is they need to have their best players playing well. "(Captain Steve) Smith and (vice-captain David) Warner need to lead the way.

"I think (Usman) Khawaja will be around for that time, I honestly believe he can be a 10-year Test player for Australia."

The poor run for Smith's men comes after a stellar 2015-16 summer, where they defeated New Zealand and the West Indies at home before knocking off the Kiwis across the ditch.

Australia's ensuing struggles on the subcontinent and now in their own backyard have seen questions asked of players, selectors and administrators alike.

"They've been ordinary in the seven days of Test cricket we've seen so far this summer, on the back of some ordinary Test cricket in Sri Lanka," Ponting said.

"Over the last couple of months they haven't performed anywhere near what they had for the period of time before that.

"(But) they're still the No.1 ranked one-day international side (and) the No.3 ranked Test side.

"There's enough quality there and they've shown over the last couple of years what they are capable of."

And although ex-England spinner Graeme Swann, who was instrumental in Australia's defeat on the 2009 and 2013 Ashes tours, insists it isn't time for his former foes to panic.

"The big (question) from an English point of view is, would we beat them now if it was the Ashes?" Swann said. "That's what you always think when you watch Australia.

"Right now I think England are a better team than Australia.

"(But) we shouldn't get carried away.

"Australian cricket is not in bad shape, it never will be. The state system produces good cricketers.

"They're not playing good cricket at the minute and they're not as good as they were but we shouldn't get carried away and think they're rubbish."

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