MUMBAI: David Warner is not playing his usual attacking game in the ongoing ICC World Cup, but former Australian opener Michael Slater feels that once the conditions become favourable, the swashbuckling batsman will gain more confidence and get back his old touch.

The 32-year-old left-handed Warner, winner of the Orange Cap in the IPL 2019, is among the top five run-getters so far with a tally of 281 in the World Cup in England and Wales.”I think this is the new David Warner, he is more of a thinking cricketer now and I don’t know if this serves him well. He has been adjusting to the conditions and has understood his role better,” said Slater in a media release on Tuesday.

Warner, back in the Australian side after serving a year-long ban in connection with the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last year, slammed a match-winning 107 against Pakistan at County Ground in Taunton last week. He also hit half-centuries against Afghanistan and India.

“The way he [Warner] played according to the situation against Pakistan, [Aaron] Finch was the aggressor and he tapped into the conditions to grind his way to a century,” Slater said.

“He won the Orange Cap in the IPL, so I think once the sun starts showing up more and when things quicken up he will gain more confidence and we will see the old Warner back,” added Slater, who played 74 Tests and 42 ODIs. Australia face Bangladesh next at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2019