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.
Al
Guest
The point is, katich grabbed him by the throat, and it makes no difference whatclarkes prior plans were. Playing cricket is their job, and their job as my job comes second to my family... Yes she wasn't family but it's his life and he is more than allowed to have a life outside his job after his day of work is done. Times change... No reason to be assaulted for it. Yes I do think his request/demand was ok...
Justin
Guest
PC gone mad....
jameswm
Guest
Should Kat have wrapped his hands round Clarke's neck? Obviously not. So Al - wanting to have dinner with your girlfriend can be compared with visiting your sick father in the hospital? You've just lost a lot of credibility there. Is it tradition to have some drinks before singing - yes it obviously is. The tradition is more so that they wait till the crowd's gone, and sing the team song out in the middle. The point is Clarke wanted them to sing it in the change room, at a different time, to suit himself. Is that OK, Al? That they change tradition for Clarke? Do you think Clarke's request/demand was OK?
jameswm
Guest
Clarke was annointed before he'd done the hard yards. Aussies generally expect hard work to be rewarded. His golden boy status and perceived preferential treatment has rankled many.
jameswm
Guest
Alternatively Will Australian Rules is correct and you're in the 10% who has no idea.
Lolly
Guest
Thanks that makes sense. Simon Katich must be feeling pretty vulnerable all round in terms of his career, but I really wish he hadn't spoken about this.
JohnB
Guest
I'm not a particular fan of Clarke, and I certainly wasn't a fan of him leaving the NZ tour at the time. However, it's fair to point out - he only missed the one-dayers, and he got a big ton in the first test. It's not like he went home for a kiss and a cuddle - his very public engagement broke up. After thinking about it a bit, I'd have some sympathy for the concept that he was probably too distracted to play properly, recognised that and was honest enough to admit it. In many ways, the easier thing to have done would have been to stay on the tour and have a bit of a hit and hope. Would that have been the right thing to do?
Al from ctown
Guest
And the Xmas party thing, personally I don't go to mine, haven't for 12 yrs. Thing is, I dont drink with people I dont like. Doesn't mean I don't put 100% into my work and into the safey of my fellow workers of some I dislike. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Al from ctown
Guest
Gotta love conspiracy theories.... So is it tradition that you get tanked before your allowed to sing the team song? And if you want to sing it and not drink, then it's ok to get choked by a team mate? So what if he wanted to see his girlfriend... Would you support katich if Clarke had to see his ill father in the same circumstance? Enough of the Clarke bashing already, all these ill informed and assumed accusations are growing tiresome... -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
jameswm
Guest
What part of it don't you get, Al? Clarke put seeing his chick (and himself) ahead of the team. Clarke wanted to break with tradition to see his chick earlier. Your workload analogies don't quite work, because this is sport as much as business/work (hopefully more). Guys, can we finish the Xmas party early so I can go and see my girlfriend? What reasons do you have for the Aussie team management telling Aussie supporters in Sri Lank to pull down the "Simon Katich Stand" banner, just after Clarke chatted with the runner? Coincidence, right? Ditto Clarke then putting his arm round Hughes to console him?
jameswm
Guest
Hence why Kat, Stuey Clark and Macgilla all departed too early.
Happy Hooker
Guest
It says "expert" under David Lord's photo atop his column. I must have a different dictionary.
Al from ctown
Guest
Well sed quality... Well sed. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
HelterSkelter
Roar Rookie
Well I thank you for having read and noted my comment! No one else did but then I'm not surprised that the discussion from the Roarers about this is basically the same Clarke v Katich one that occured last June. What does surprise me is that no 'expert' or sports journalist has written about Katich's remarkable contradiction of himself. I say it's remarkable because his comments cast serious aspersions on another person's character. I don't claim to be highly perceptive nor do I write about sport for a living, so it's dismaying to see the reporting of this by the professionials dumbed down to a Clarke v Katich tussle, instead of there being a critical analysis of Katich's accusations and why he has suddenly changed his story. For example, I'd like to know if the Australia captain ever sits in on the selectors' meeting to determine the contracts, does he have input into the process, does he ratify the final dicision? Does the captain have a role in any of the process? Perhaps some of the Roar experts can investigate this insteas of fanning the anti-Clarke flames, because I'm not clearer to understanding any of this and it goes to the heart of the issue of whether Clarke was directly involved in Katich's omission. I realise many people claim he was involved, but that appears to be based on their dislike of him, not on any evidence.
DanielS
Guest
You my friend are the first one to mention the real reason. He was a victim of the entire post ashes review process, not any thing to do with fighting with Michael Clarke. It is simple, Katich is likely to retire from cricket soon. Ponting and Hussey, even though they are the same age, have remained as they are both competing in 2 forms of the game, and both look as if they might continue, at least in one form of the game, till a more advanced age.
Al from ctown
Guest
Yeah stay in the trenches to sink piss... At no point apparently did Clarke not want to sing the team song, just didn't want to sink ten odd tinnies beforehand... So that deserves to be choked by a team mate does it sheek? Seriously mate in what sporting team/ workplace or general place in life is that acceptable or as you put it deserved? I think this Clarke bashing has just gone to a new level, and that being pretty damn low. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Fisher Price
Guest
What is it that your man Punter offers to the Test side? Also, Katich was 'chosen' for one form of the game.
Fisher Price
Guest
Good point. He never seems to be accountable.
Fisher Price
Guest
Hughes lacks the necessary technique for Test cricket. Yeah, Katich has clearly never scored tons for Australia...
Fisher Price
Guest
The 2005 Ashes and the home series against South Africa aside, Ponting achieved good results as captain of the great side he inherited from his predecessor. You choose to ignore Ponting's record as a Test captain and batsman since the 2009 Ashes series. What makes replacing Katich with the inept Hughes a 'hard' decision?