Former Test opener Simon Katich believes the current Australia top-order should be given an extended chance to prove themselves at international level.
Katich, who made a successful return to Australian domestic cricket for Western Australia on Tuesday following an 18-month absence, said national selectors have to persevere with batsmen that have to nail down their position in the team.
“People have to be patient,” said Katich.
“It is not that easy to step into international cricket and perform straight away.
“Many guys in the past have taken time (to succeed). I know with myself it took a long time to feel comfortable at Test level.
“It doesn’t happen straight away, but if you are patient and persistent with players, hopefully at some point they will reward the selectors and keep churning out consistent runs.”
The 38-year-old provided another cameo of his ability in the one-day match against Victoria at North Sydney Oval, scoring a comfortable 67 off 58 deliveries before being caught in the deep as WA suffered a 59-run loss.
Katich, discarded by national selectors in 2011, continues to enjoy the kind of consistent run-making that would be the envy of many of Australia’s current international crop.
While Australia struggled in this year’s unsuccessful Ashes series, the 56-Test veteran peeled off over 1,000 runs for Lancashire at an average of 73, including four centuries.
Despite that 3-0 series loss against England, Katich is optimistic about the quality of young batsmen in Australia.
“There are some good kids floating around the state system,” he said.
“It is just a matter of them grabbing their opportunities and making the most of them, and as we have seen plenty of them are getting looked at.”
Katich agreed to turn out for four matches for Western Australia in this month’s one-day cup, but indicated further state appearances were unlikely.
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