Ponting wants Watson in team against Indian series

SYDNEY: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting Wednesday said he wanted Andrew Symonds back in the team "sooner rather than later" and there were positive signs the troubled all-rounder would return.

Symonds was dropped from Australia's upcoming tour of India after he went fishing rather than attending a compulsory team meeting during the one-day series against Bangladesh last month and has been considering his future in international cricket.

Ponting said Symonds' comments to the media on Tuesday, during which he expressed remorse and admitted he needed to change, were welcome.

"I actually think there were some really positive signs over the last couple of days with Andrew," Ponting told reporters.