ICC World Cup 2019 | David Warner has understood his role better, feels Michael Slater

A swashbuckling opener in his days, Michael Slater knows what it’s like to be asked to lay the foundation for the team. An aggressive player himself when the game needed him to be, he offered his evaluation of present opener David Warner’s performance so far in the ongoing World Cup. 

“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 said in a media release on Tuesday, reported TOI.

Even though he has returned to the international scene after more than a year on the sidelines due to a ban imposed by ICC, Warner seems to have only become better in the meanwhile. He has scored a century and two half centuries in the five matches he has played so far. The most striking feature of it all has been his tendency to resist playing the big shots, a trait that is considered his trademark. His career strike rate of 95 in ODIs is a testament to the fact.

"He has been adjusting to the conditions and has understood his role better. The way he played according to the situation against Pakistan, Finch was the aggressor and he tapped into the conditions to grind his way to a century,” Slater said of the change in the batsman’s attitude.

The explosive opener had announced his return to the game with some grandeur after he ended the IPL with 692 runs at an average of 69.2 and an astounding strike rate of 143.86. Michael Slater believes it is only a matter of time before we see the same Warner back in the fore.

"Warner 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 David Warner back,” he concluded.