- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland, and Australian captain Michael Clarke have hotly denied Clarke was responsible for Simon Katich’s disgraceful sacking as a contract player last June.
Clarke and Katich had a dust-up in the SCG dressing room after the baggy greens had beaten South Africa by 103 in January 2009.
It’s alleged Katich had Clarke by the throat during an argument when the team song would be sung, and had to be separated by stunned team-mates.
If Clarke had nothing to do with Katich’s sacking, on what grounds was he sacked by the selectors and ratfified by CA?
Runs? Surely not.
In 2008:
* Ricky Ponting scored 1,182, average 47.28.
* Clarke – 1,063 at 50.61.
* Katich – 1,021 at 56.72.
* Mike Hussey – 900 at 37.50.
* Shane Watson – 176 at 35.2
In 2009:
* Katich – 1,111 at 48.3.
* Clarke – 1,042 at 54.84.
* Ponting – 853 at 38.77.
* Hussey – 804 at 36,54.
* Watson – 716 at 65.09.
In 2010:
* Hussey – 967 at 50.89.
* Watson – 897 at 42.71.
* Ponting – 813 at 36.95.
* Katich – 796 at 46.82.
* Clarke – 771 at 36.71.
Over the three calendar years:
* Katich – 2,928 at 50.48.
* Clarke – 2,876 at 47.15.
* Ponting – 2,848 at 41.27.
* Hussey – 2,771 at 42.63.
* Watson – 1,789 at 48.35.
The most centuries and half-centuries, over those three calendar years:
* Katich – 25 – 8 tons, and 17 half-centuries.
* Ponting – 24 – 6 and 18.
* Clarke – 22 – 9 and 13.
* Hussey – 22 – 6 and 16.
* Watson – 16 – 2 and 14.
As if the above stats weren’t enough evidence to prove the selectors were inept, the success of the Katich-Watson opening combination adds more fuel to the fire that selectors had no right to sack Katich, nor did CA have any right to sign off on the major blunder.
In 29 starts, Katich and Watson accumulated 1,529 runs together at an average 54.39, with three century stands and 10 half-centuries.
They were the most successful opening pair in world cricket from the moment they started together in July 2009.
Next best England’s Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook with 36 digs, scoring 1,468 at 40.77, with 4 century stands, and 6 half-centuries.
And India’s Virender Sehwag-Gautum Gambhir combination with 23 digs, 1,375 at 65.47, with 5 tons, and 7 half-centuries.
Comprehensively, there is not one scrap of evidence to sustain Katich’s sacking. Surely if it “ain’t” broke, don’t fix it.
Age?
Katich was 35 at the time of his axing – Ponting and Hussey 36.
But CA handed 33-year-old David Hussey a full-time contract, the Victorian not even a Test player.
It’s a pity Katich didn’t go through the process of suing CA for wrongful dismissal, as he intended at the time.
It would have been a fascinating court case. Justice may well have been done.