Cricket: Warne aims to bounce back

SHANE WARNE believes his changed approach to one-day cricket will help resurrect his career. That career plummeted to its lowest point last week when he was dropped from Australia's team for the fourth and final Test. But Warne was due to return to the Australian line-up for last night's one-day international against the West Indies at Arnos Vale in St Vincent, the first of seven limited-overs matches.

Warne reiterated the claim he made in the wake of his Test sacking that he would consider his cricketing future after the World Cup and claimed he was not yet over the disappointment of losing his Test berth.

"It still hurts," he said. "It's still very, very disappointing but as far as I'm concerned I'm using these seven one-dayers to get pumped up for the World Cup. But if over the next few months I can't get back to the form that I was used to over the last seven or eight years, then I'll contemplate my future."

After a Test series in which he claimed just two wickets in three matches, Warne is set to resume in his former role as Australia's key bowler given that Glenn McGrath will be rested and the in-form seamer Adam Dale remains doubtful because of a virus.

Warne, 30, said that, although he faced a challenge to retain his Test berth, he did not believe his one-day career was anywhere near over and felt he had become an even more valuable member of Australia's limited- overs team in recent years. "I think I've done pretty well and my record in the one-day format speaks for itself," said Warne, who has taken 169 wickets from 108 one-day international appearances.

"I've had a pretty good career. I'm not looking to finish my one-day career, that's for sure, and I think in the last few years I've learned how to bowl in one-day cricket. The first four or five years I played one-day cricket I basically just bowled leg breaks and if the blokes tried to slog me they'd often hit me up in the air or hit the odd six, and I was used a lot at the end of an innings.

"In the last few years I've learned how to bowl in different situations, and sometimes you've got to throw caution to the wind and be prepared to go for eight or nine runs an over in order to pick up a wicket. I might go for 20 or 30 runs but if I break a vital partnership, then that's what's required," he said.

Warne captained Australia in all but two of their 12 one-day internationals last summer against England and Sri Lanka while the regular captain Steve Waugh was injured. He will resume his vice-captaincy role now that Waugh has recovered. Warne won plaudits for his aggressive and imaginative captaincy and enthusiasm.