AUSTRALIA skipper Ricky Ponting is looking for all his players to fire as they look to avoid a repeat of 2005.

Even a staggering 40 wickets from Shane Warne and 19 victims for Glenn McGrath in three Tests couldn’t stop the tourists from slipping to a first Ashes defeat for 18 years.

And the Aussie captain is looking for a collective effort from his fired-up troops as they look to keep the urn that they won back in 2007.

“What I am demanding of our team is we have an even contribution from all of our players,” said Ponting, whose team confirmed their place on top of the world Test ranking with a 2-1 away win in South Africa earlier this year.

“As we saw in 2005, you can have a couple of stand-out guys and still not win.

"Where we were deficient in 2005 was not winning the critical moments in the series. We made enough mistakes to give England the opportunity to win some of those games.

"I am sure we won't make those mistakes again. If we are good enough we are good enough, and I have a really good feeling we are going to be.

“Obviously I want some of the guys to have some of the best series of their careers but I want all of us to be able to contribute at different times.

“That is what made us as successful as we were in South Africa recently.

“The really impressive thing is, if you have hardly played a Test, or as many as I have, the hunger and desire to do well for yourself and for your mates is as good as I have ever seen it around our team.

“That’s an exciting thing for me and we will give it our best shot. We know what brand of cricket we need to play and we know what to expect from the English so I think it is going to be another exciting and dramatic series.”

Ponting, whose Ashes love affair started when his uncle Greg Campbell was selected 20 years ago, is relishing another scuffle with the old enemy.

Cardiff will set the tone for a loud and raucous backing from the stands and the 34-year-old believes that adds to the occasion.

“We will cop a bit over the next few months but generally it’s pretty light-hearted and if anything can help you get through a day when you are out in the field,” he said.

“The guys know what to expect and the intensity is going to lift from anything they have experienced in the past.

“I don’t want to contain the excitement to tell the truth. I want to go out there and express my excitement at being involved in this series, and that’s what all our players will be doing for the next two months.

“At the moment there’s not one guy in that dressing room that has done anything that has surprised me on a cricket field – I know what they are capable of and I want to see some things that will amaze people over the next few weeks.”