Australia in SA
Katich lashes out at Clarke
2011-10-29 07:11
Sydney - Former Australian opener Simon Katich has lashed out at Michael Clarke, blaming him for his axing from the team and saying he doubted he would play for his country as long as Clarke is skipper.
The comments came soon after Australia's new chief selector John Inverarity said the door had not been closed on Katich, who has played 56 Tests for Australia, averaging over 45 runs.
But the opener, whose dropping from Cricket Australia's contract list in June was a major surprise, said late on Friday he doubted the appointment of a new selector would be enough to secure his return to the international fold.
"It's pleasing to hear but I think you don't have to be Einstein to figure out it's not just the selectors that had a part in sending me on my way, so that's one of those things," Katich said when told about Inverarity's comment.
He traced his troubles to a 2009 dressing room confrontation with Clarke in which he reportedly grabbed the new Test skipper by the throat.
Katich said: "To be brutally honest what happened in the dressing room here a few years ago probably didn't help my cause.
"Obviously the captain and coach are selectors, so just because he's going to be chairman of selectors, or whatever role it is, I wouldn't have thought that that'll make too much difference."
Katich said he had not spoken to Clarke about the incident and doubted he would ever play for Australia again under Clarke's stewardship.
"I wouldn't have thought so, because that's probably why I'm in this position in the first place," he said.