Cricket Australia Admit Katich Mistake

Axed: Simon Katich has not played a Test for almost three years

More than two years on from Simon Katich’s axing from Australia’s Test squad, and Cricket Australia has admitted it’s mistake in relinquishing the batsman.

Katich was discarded as Australia’s Test opener in June 2011, having played 56 Tests and 45 ODI’s for his country since his debut in 2001. Katich’s last Test was during the 2010/11 Ashes series in Adelaide, and he made 43 in his final innings before missing the rest of the series with injury.

Now 38, Katich has since lambasted the selectors and Cricket Australia for his removal from the international stage, an opinion shared by the majority of the cricketing world who believe Katich’s grit and experience would have made him a valuable asset during the nation’s last two years of regeneration.

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards, who was not in charge at the time of Katich’s axing, said that the decision was made with the view of regenerating and redeveloping Australian cricket following the disastrous home Ashes series, but admitted that, with hindsight, the move had been a mistake.

“I would put the dropping of Simon Katich in that corner [of selectorial mistakes]. That was a decision made by the selectors at the time because you had three guys – Katich, [Ricky] Ponting and [Michael] Hussey – all the same age and three key batters who were all going to go at once. The selectors made a judgement call to try to transition through that and didn’t get it right. Katich would’ve been a valuable player. But that’s their call.”

Whilst the statement will come as little consolation to Katich now, at least it goes partially towards explaining the decision. Katich’s axing was in part due to his age of 36 at the time and the hope that the trio of David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shane Watson could prove more effective at the top of the order. Two years on, and Warner remains a fixture in the side, albeit only an occasionally effective one, Cowan has been discarded and Watson is no longer considered to be an opening batsman. Katich, meanwhile, has just come off the back of a thousand-run season with Lancashire during which he made four centuries and averaged 73.13.

With Australia due to start their first home Ashes series without Katich next month, one can only wonder whether his presence in the side now would make any difference to the expected English superiority.

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