Johannesburg, Feb. 12: South African cricket captain Graeme Smith is fit and has announced that he will lead the side against the Australians after playing a couple of matches on the domestic circuit.

Smith returned to the practice nets this week for the first time since the famous Sydney Test last month where he bravely batted with a broken hand and busted elbow.

According to Fox Sports, he Smith will turn out for his domestic side the Cape Cobras as he ramps up his preparation for the first Test against Australia at Johannesburg starting on February 26.

The man who led South Africa to a historic Test series win in Australia - and belted 326 runs at 65.20 in three Tests - insisted his fractured hand has totally healed.

Melbourne, Feb. 12 : A group of former Australia cricketers have been told that their six-figure contract fees are not under threat despite the rebel Indian Cricket League postponing next month''s tournament.

Former Australia players Michael Kasprowicz, Jimmy Maher, Ian Harvey, Stuart Law, Jason Gillespie and Damien Martyn were told by e-mail this week that the ICL''s March tournament would not take place.

ICL board member Dean Jones said the world''s financial crisis and the fact that the India cricket team''s tour of New Zealand had been lengthened, would have clashed with the ICL. Jones said the tournament would be played later in the year.

Melbourne, Feb. 12: Former Test fast bowler and Pakistan cricket team coach Geoff Lawson has warned Australia that winning the final Chappell-Hadlee clash is vital to their preparations for the tour of South Africa.

With the series currently tied at two all, Fox Sports quoted Lawson as saying: "Winning this last game is very important because you have already seen that winning the last two one-day games has changed the complexion of a lot of things."

"Australia will go to South Africa with a lot more confidence if they can win the Chappell-Hadlee trophy. But if they lose in Brisbane, there will be a lot of doom and gloom again, the world could come down on their shoulders," he added.

Lahore, Feb. 12 : Tainted Pakistan speedster Mohammad Asif has decided to challenge the ban imposed on him by the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the plea that he consumed nandrolone unintentionally.

Asif said he is taking the advice of his lawyers and would soon file a petition against the IPL verdict.

"I didn''t take any banned substances intentionally, so, I am not pleased with this ban. We will appeal against the ban. I don''t want to carry the stigma of having been found guilty of taking banned substances," The Nation quoted Asif, as saying.

Karachi, Feb. 11 : Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt has vowed to improve security arrangements for the 2011 World Cup in the backdrop of International Cricket Council deciding to move the 2009 Champions Trophy out of Pakistan due to security concerns raised by various teams.

"Pakistan would improve on the existing facilities for the World Cup while the International Cricket Council (ICC) would also make security arrangements," Butt was quoted by The News, as saying.

Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will jointly host the 10th world cup 2011.

Colombo, Feb. 11 : Sri Lanka's cricket captain Mahela Jayawardene resigned from the post on Wednesday.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board sources said Jayawardene decided to quit the captaincy from both forms of cricket after the Test series against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka was handed a 4-1 drubbing by India in the recently concluded One-day series during which Jayawardene's lacklusture performance was criticised by top cricket officials, The Colombo Times reports.