Michael Clarke Denies His Involvement In Simon Katich Snub After Dressing Room Outburst
Published - 05 May 2020, 08:28 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:06 AM
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has vehemently denied claims that suggested he was the root cause of Simon Katich not getting Cricket Australia contract in 2011. Katich was a regular for the Australian team until an ankle injury in the 2010-11 Ashes, which later saw him facing a central contract snub, after Michael Clarke took over as captain from Ricky Ponting in 2011.
In 2009, Katich reportedly grabbed Clarke by his throat in a heated dressing room exchange, over an issue regarding the traditional team song. It was widely pinned and reported as the reason behind Katich losing his contract in Clarke’s reign, but the former captain continues to deny the claims.
Michael Clarke: I can’t talk for Simon Katich, but his contract selection has nothing to do with me
In the Big Sports Breakafast radio interview, a caller asked Clarke, “You recently made comments about Usman Khawaja and his sacking, saying that you were hoping it wasn’t made personal by selectors — isn’t that exactly what you did with Simon Katich affair?”
In response, Clarke said: “Incorrect. Let me tell you the truth because you’re going off what you’ve heard or what you’ve been reading in the paper,” he said.
“Simon and I did have an incident in the change room. But from my perspective, because I can’t talk for Simon, it was done and dealt with. We had a conversation the next day, it was dealt with.
“What people don’t understand is … because I became captain of Australia, I have no say in who gets a contract. Simon Katich was not dropped from a team when I was captain of Australia or when I was a selector.”
“They were going to give contracts to two of those three players and they went with Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey ahead of Simon Katich. So his contract selection had absolutely nothing to do with me.”
Clarke also said, he fought hard to get Katich back in the side, as they lacked top-order batsman for the Ashes.
