Katich retires from Australian first-class cricket
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Former Test opening batsman Simon Katich has announced his retirement from first-class cricket in Australia.
Katich was axed from the Australian team after the 2010-2011 Ashes series defeat in Australia and was stripped of the NSW captaincy last year in the Sheffield Shield competition.
The 36-year-old is currently playing with Hampshire in the English County competition and is committed to play for the Perth Scorchers in the Champions League Twenty20 in October.
Katich released a statement through Cricket Australia citing prioritising his young family as the reason for his retirement.
The West Australian played 56 Tests for Australia, scoring 4188 runs at an average of 45.03.
His demotion from the Test team was highly controversial and his tense relationship with Australian skipper Michael Clarke has been played out heavily in the media.
Starting out with Western Australia at State level, Katich went on to star for NSW and has amassed 19,667 first class runs.
Through the statement, Cricket Australia said Katich wished to thanked the WACA and NSW Cricket associations for “providing wonderful cricketing environments and amazing opportunities”.
“He wishes to thank them all (coaches and players) for the camaraderie and support over the last 16 years and for the chance to play in winning teams.
“With a young family and a desire for an extended time at home, Simon has decided it is time to reassess his priorities.”
© AAP 2013- Explore:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, Simon Katich
June 12th 2012 @ 11:47am
Brett McKay said | June 12th 2012 @ 11:47am | Report comment
Well played, Kat…
June 12th 2012 @ 12:01pm
Robert said | June 12th 2012 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
He has justified the aussie selectors decision to axe him
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June 12th 2012 @ 4:11pm
Disco said | June 12th 2012 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
Rubbish.
June 12th 2012 @ 4:40pm
John said | June 12th 2012 @ 4:40pm | Report comment
Here, here Disco! They have and never will be able to justify dropping him! He’s what the Australian test team are now missing badly in my opinion.
June 12th 2012 @ 5:39pm
Cantab said | June 12th 2012 @ 5:39pm | Report comment
Sad to see him go, one of my favourite Australian players of all time. I wonder if we will ever find why he was dropped? He averaged 47 in his last 20 innings and 50 in the 40 innings previous to that, hardly a guy out of form…considering he was dropped from a batting line up which was not performing.
June 12th 2012 @ 8:18pm
Lolly said | June 12th 2012 @ 8:18pm | Report comment
I really liked him too. Our top-order has become a bit of a mess since the openers were disturbed with Kat’s injury.
We now have 2 different openers to the touted ‘looking forward to the Ashes’ Hughes and Watson pairing that we got when Kat’s contract wasn’t renewed.
June 12th 2012 @ 12:26pm
Bobo said | June 12th 2012 @ 12:26pm | Report comment
He was a solid Test opener in an era where we’ve been very weak in the top order. He may have looked perennially uncomfortable at the crease, but he was very very hard to get out.
June 12th 2012 @ 2:18pm
Ben Carter said | June 12th 2012 @ 2:18pm | Report comment
WIll be missed from my point of view. Not necessarily the flashiest, but had value as a workman-like top order batsmen. I always saw him as a potential longer-term Test captain, and rather in the Steve Waugh mould in the determination stakes.
June 12th 2012 @ 4:38pm
John said | June 12th 2012 @ 4:38pm | Report comment
Steve Waugh is a great comparison, I concur wholeheartedly. Shame CA didn’t feel the same love for the Kat as SW, even though he deserved similar respect.
June 12th 2012 @ 2:37pm
Johnno said | June 12th 2012 @ 2:37pm | Report comment
Kat we miss you, and it was sad the way you were dropped Pup should say sorry to you as well for helping to drop you and preferring younger and players he liked better than you, you were from the old school Kat something Clarke did not identify with or like damn shame pup got so ouch power kat coz aussie cricket needs men like you.
June 12th 2012 @ 4:40pm
Blaze said | June 12th 2012 @ 4:40pm | Report comment
Clarke was not part of the selection team when katich was dropped. That’s all.
June 12th 2012 @ 3:41pm
ak said | June 12th 2012 @ 3:41pm | Report comment
Its good that he retired. What is the use of playing first-class cricket after having played for years on the international arena when you know that you will not be selected to represent your national side. So curtains down on a good career.
June 12th 2012 @ 4:35pm
Bob said | June 12th 2012 @ 4:35pm | Report comment
@ak, because he still has so much to offer younger players eg: he batted with Kurtis Patterson (on debut at 18yo) last Shield season vs WA. Kurtis, through Katich’s excellent support and guiidance, went on to score 157 while the Kat scored 125 – you may recall this “Kurtis Patterson became the youngest batsman to score a century in Sheffield Shield for New South Wales”. That is why he should stay on and play, he has so much to offer and I will always be very grateful for the assistance he provided our son while in the NSW squad. His leadership, manner, skills, and determination are fine examples for younger plyers to follow and aim for. First class cricket isn’t always about playing for Australia, cause very few players get that chance. His knowledge will be sorely missed at NSW, big shoes to fill and who is going to step up and do it in 2012/13
June 12th 2012 @ 5:13pm
Rabbitz said | June 12th 2012 @ 5:13pm | Report comment
Thanks Simon.
Gritty, determined and focused.
A team player in the old mould, it is a pity that such qualities are no longer sought.
June 13th 2012 @ 12:53am
Morning Son said | June 13th 2012 @ 12:53am | Report comment
Punched out a half-decent career but a largely forgetful player.
That was his style, I don’t miss him as a player. I was one of the few who agreed with him being dropped when he was.
Boring batsmen who made grinding runs, but to be honest, was largely as dull as dishwasher.
June 13th 2012 @ 1:18am
Johnno said | June 13th 2012 @ 1:18am | Report comment
and morning son he almost punched out pup in the team dressing room over you guessed it Lara where the bloody hell are ya Bingle.
June 13th 2012 @ 8:41am
John said | June 13th 2012 @ 8:41am | Report comment
@Morning Son, I think you are mistaken and are surely referring to the newest most boring, dull, self-liking, far less humble Aust opener, Ed Cowan, who I might add could learn a great deal from the great Kat!
June 13th 2012 @ 8:50am
Bob said | June 13th 2012 @ 8:50am | Report comment
I can’t believe how you could possibly make that comment Morning Son, he was Australia’s leading run scorer with a test average of 50 when he was shafted. Your comment re half decent is a joke, look what we have nowadays, they are ordinary and not even half decent consistently. Surely you must have seen Katich is 400 runs shy of 20, 000 first class runs, let alone the respect I know he commanded amongst 98% of his playing peers. Think I’ll stick with their judgement as opposed to yours thanks!
June 13th 2012 @ 10:26am
Disco said | June 13th 2012 @ 10:26am | Report comment
So that the fact that Katich was extremely effective means nothing? It’s all about aesthetics?
June 13th 2012 @ 11:35am
Morning Son said | June 13th 2012 @ 11:35am | Report comment
I can see what you are all saying, but as I said, Simon Katich wasn’t my type of player – he was effective at times, but he was a boring batsmen and I don’t miss his style.
June 13th 2012 @ 8:55am
Bob said | June 13th 2012 @ 8:55am | Report comment
and now, Mark Waugh says Simon Katich should be remembered as one of Australian cricket’s best. He played 56 Tests for Australia, scoring 10 centuries and 4188 runs at an average of 45.03. Hadn’t seen this Morning Son? Tells me something directly opposite to half decent and largely forgetful!
June 13th 2012 @ 11:38am
Morning Son said | June 13th 2012 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Hyperbole from Mark Waugh. Heaps of players have been ‘shafted’ over the years by selectors. It is the nature of the job.
Look at Dean Jones, Brad Hodge, Michael Bevan, Matthew Elliot, Ian Harvey, Brad Williams, etc, etc
I can keep going with a list of players that have been treated harshly by selectors.
Kato’s whining after being dropped isn’t my style either.
He was a boring batsmen who had a good career.
June 13th 2012 @ 8:41pm
amazonfan said | June 13th 2012 @ 8:41pm | Report comment
I’m not of the ‘X says it so it must be true’ school of thought. Mark Waugh is entitled to consider him one of Australian cricket’s best. It doesn’t mean that the rest of us have to agree.
June 13th 2012 @ 8:54pm
Johnno said | June 13th 2012 @ 8:54pm | Report comment
amazonfan you are being individual in your opinions rather than a sheep or follower, what about supporting the masses amazon rather than being seen as different it will only create controversy.
June 13th 2012 @ 9:00pm
amazonfan said | June 13th 2012 @ 9:00pm | Report comment
That doesn’t make any sense.