Shane Watson returns to Queensland

Homesick prodigal son Shane Watson believes that his return to Queensland will help him break into Test cricket. A month after being named Tasmania's 2003-04 player of the year, Watson has revealed he is leaving his adopted state largely due to family and lifestyle reasons.

Watson, who is in the Australian one-day squad to tour Zimbabwe next month, also admitted that the chance to slot into Queensland's line-up and continue to work with Bennett King, the Cricket Academy coach, weighed heavily in his decision. "My heart is in Brisbane and there's certain things that fitted in perfectly for me to come home," he said. "Playing in Queensland is a big part of my decision. I know I can continue to develop my cricket and take it to the next level as well."

A medium pacer and top-order batsman, Watson said that the chance to bowl regularly on a Gabba pitch, which favoured good seam bowling, and the fact the No. 4 batting position had been vacated by Stuart Law, assisted his choice. Last season, he made 983 runs at 52.23, including four centuries, batting at No.4 for Tasmania.

One of Australia's most promising players, Watson missed the 2003 World Cup due to a back injury, but his adjusted action has given him hope to become a frontline bowler. He said he sorely missed his family while in Hobart, as well as Brisbane's warm climate. "I never really got used to the weather," he said, "I'm just very excited about moving back home now."

Jimmy Maher, Queensland's captain and a critic of Watson's decision to leave the state in late 2001, also backed him to reach greater heights in his home environment. "He's decided to come home to where he knows and loves the best and that can only be a good thing for us and for him," Maher said. "The opportunities when he left were probably not here and he decided to leave. At the time I was disappointed, probably more how it happened than what happened."

The Tasmanian Cricket Association's board will meet in a month to discuss Watson's transfer but, as he is a Cricket Australia contracted player, the TCA cannot stand in his way. Each CA contracted player merely nominates which state he will play for in the domestic competition on his contract, which runs from June 30.

Watson did not want to leave a sour taste in the mouth of a second state in three years and hoped he would gain the TCA's blessing at next month's board meeting. "Tasmania Cricket have been great to me. They obviously gave me an opportunity when I was young and I'm very very grateful and thankful for that."

Tasmania received another blow, with Gerard Denton, a fast bowler, turning his back on a new contract and aligning with Pura Cup champion Victoria. Queensland Cricket held talks with Watson to return to Brisbane last year but had no success. Today's switch took QC officials by some surprise.

Raised in Ipswich and a graduate of Queensland youth teams, he immediately made his first class debut for the Tigers after being lured south at the start of the 2001-02 season. "Shane has been given a wonderful opportunity to build his career in Tasmania," said said TCA's chief executive, David Johnston, "but family ties for a young man are always a difficult hurdle to overcome."