Ponting hoping to recover in time before World Cup

Melbourne:

Ricky Ponting batted for the first time on Tuesday at the nets after injuring his finger during the Ashes series and said although pain is there but he is confident of recovering before the World Cup.

Ponting, who had undergone a surgery to heal a fractured little finger, did some fielding practice and faced spinners during the session with batting coach Justin Langer but did not face fast bowlers.

"I think I'm going to have that (pain) for a while to tell you the truth. I don't think it's going to be one of those things that goes away altogether," Ponting said. Ponting is hoping that he be able to play in Australia's two practice games before their opening World Cup match against Zimbabwe on February 21.

"I'll see how it pulls up in the morning and do a bit more tomorrow while the boys are out in the middle and hopefully it keeps progressing the way it has," Ponting was quoted as saying by Sydney Mornig Herald.

"I'm still a few weeks way from my first game yet," he added.

The World Cup, to be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will begin on February 19.