Ricky Ponting could come out of retirement to help the ailing Australia team at this summer's Ashes, according to former teammate Michael Slater.

Ponting, 38, recently scored 192 on his debut for Surrey but has not featured at international Test level since retiring in November last year.

"If they said, 'we are desperate Ricky, we want you' I'm sure he would put his hand up," Slater told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Slater added that Ponting did not want to retire when he did but was "forced" to because of questions over his form with the bat.

"He certainly didn't want to retire when he did but he was forced to through lack of form and all this questioning about his technique," Slater said.

England have won the last two Ashes series and the teams meet again in back-to-back series beginning on July 10.