Ponting backs Warner to finish as highest run scorer in 2019 World Cup after return to form

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Australian batsman David Warner's 107-run knock against Pakistan in the ongoing ICC 2019 Cricket World Cup has impressed team's assistant coach Ricky Ponting, who believes that if Warner manages to replicate such performance in the rest of the tournament, he will be the leading run-getter.

"You could see by the way he moved into his shots and picking up the length early, he hit a lot of pull shots early in his innings, which is always a good sign for him. He'd taken the handbrake off which has allowed himself to play with a bit more freedom. If he keeps playing like that for the rest of the tournament, he's probably going to be the leading run scorer," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting, as saying.

Warner was at his devastating best when he smashed his first century since making a comeback from his year-long ban and helped his side beat Pakistan by 41 runs on Wednesday.

Warner has accumulated 255 runs so far in the tournament and is just five runs behind Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, who tops the list of runs scored.

Ponting also revealed that he spoke to Warner ahead of the Pakistan match and advised him to just 'see ball, hit ball'.

"I think in the back of his own mind to a certain degree, I think he was a little bit more worried about getting out than scoring runs. We said to him after the last game, 'mate, just go out and see ball, hit ball.' He got off to a good start and continued on for 30 or 40 overs," he said.

Australia will face Sri Lanka at The Oval on June 15.

(With inputs from ANI)