Ponting calls on Warne to decide fast on World Cup return

Sydney, Nov 1 (UNI) Shane Warne may have ruled out the possibility of returning to Australian one-day fold for next year's World Cup barring an emergency, but skipper Ricky Ponting remains hopeful about the champion leg-spinner's comeback and has asked him to decide fast.

''If every other credible spinner in Australia has broken down and if Ricky Ponting says, We need you mate, and there's nobody else', then I might consider it,'' Warne has written in his book 'Shane Warne, My Illustrated Career', leaving the door open for a late return to the ODI side.

Reacting to the veteran leg-spinner's comments, Ponting said though it is quite late for Warne to announce a comeback but his record makes him a very serious contender in the Australian World Cup squad.

The Aussie skipper said selectors may be tempted to give Warne a chance even if the leggie decided late.

''It's all up to him. If he wants to make himself available again for selection then I'm sure the selectors would think about it,'' Ponting was quoted by the 'Australian' as saying.

However, Ponting said Warne should have made up his mind by now and though optimistic, he knew that the flamboyant bolwers's return was not all that simple.

''It has been floating around for a little while. Whether or not Shane is going to make a return to one-day cricket, I have to think if he was going to do it he would have done it by now,'' he said.

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