Brisbane, Feb. 24 : Injured Australian all-rounder Shane Watson will launch his latest comeback in Queensland''s Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales starting at the Gabba on Thursday.

Finally fit after suffering a back stress fracture, Watson will play as a batsman in a match critical to the Bulls'' hopes of meeting already-qualified Victoria in the Shield final.

One of the heroes of Queensland''s weekend one-day title success, pacer Ben Laughlin, is in line for his first class debut after also earning a Bulls nod.

Sydney, Feb. 24 : New South Wales Cricket has decided to snub batting tyro David Warner for the team's upcoming Sheffield match against Queensland, putting a question mark on his future at NSW.

The rookie blaster, who thrilled crowds after making his one-day and Twenty20 debuts for Australia this summer, still cannot get a start for the Blues'' four-day side and has yet to play first-class cricket with only one game remaining after the Queensland clash this season.

He has already received a Cricket Australia contract this year.

Johannesburg, Feb. 24: Former South African middle order bat Daryll Cullinan is on top of the world these days, as for the first time in years, a South African team is entering a Test series against Australia without fear.

"Ultimately it comes down to the belief they have that they can compete," The Age quoted him as telling the cricket web site Cricinfo.

Melbourne, Feb 24 : At the age of 48, former Aussie opener David Boon was as solid in his defence as he ever was, and made South African net bowlers sweat it out in Potchefstroom on the third day of Australia's tour game against Proteas XI.

Boon is in South Africa as a selector for the Australian team, but during a break in play he decided to borrow a pair of pads and a bat and give the local net bowlers a workout.

He armed himself with Brad Haddin's bat, but did not bother with a helmet or introductions, The Courier Mail reported.

Lackluster fielding and fitness levels that were not up to scratch have let down India's women cricketers, more so during the forgettable tours to England and Australia. The advantage of having some of the best batswomen in their ranks and the fastest bowler in the world was, at times, negated by the undistinguished fielding.

Now, help seems to be at hand. At the Bandra-Kurla Complex grounds, Tushar Arothe is working overtime to hone the fielding skills of these ladies in the run-up to their World Cup campaign to be held in Australia starting March 7. In a first, Arothe, a former Baroda skipper, has been appointed fielding coach of a National women's cricket team.

The much-awaited agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Indian Cricket League has not come through. After a three-hour meeting at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton in Johannesburg, the two parties failed to reach a common ground and as a result the matter has been referred to the all-powerful Executive Board of the International Cricket Council.

The contentious issues between the BCCI and ICL could not be immediately ascertained but the ICC, which has mediated between the Indian entities, said it was sad that a compromise could not be hammered out.