Shane Watson Joins Chorus Against Selectors’ Decision to drop Katich

The case of the current lot of Australian cricketers raising their voice against the supposed injustice meted out to one of their own is not likely to die down any soon. Unless the next batch of Australian openers can help ease the wounds of the Australian selectors, they will simply have to cop more flak, this time from Simon Katich’s opening partner, Shane Watson.

Shane Watson, Simon Katich

Australian opener, Shane Watson, is standing by his former opening partner, Simon Katich, after the latter was unceremoniously left out from the contracts handed out by Cricket Australia. After Ricky Ponting, who is still part of the contracts list as is fellow veteran Michael Hussey, Watson has come out in support of Katich, stating that an error in judgement had been made about leaving him out of the Australian team.

Katich was rather critical of the Australian selection policy when his name was no longer a part of the list. His scathing press conference was applauded by his fellow cricketers while Cricket Australia choose to take a lenient view of the fact that Katich had spoken out so strongly against the many blunders that the Australian selectors have committed over the last few months, more poignantly during the Ashes.

Watson himself is enjoying a second innings in the Australian team after his revival during the IPL in 2008. Knowing how hard it was for him to establish himself and to now be one of the core players in the team, Watson is only too aware of how Katich has been a force to reckon with in the past three years, filling in the spot left vacant by Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, Australia’s previous Test openers. Katich has been a prolific scorer in the format and Watson was only reiterating what has been known about Australian cricket in recent years when experience and fortitude have been rare qualities.

Watson was speaking from the perspective of how the two openers had been holding up their end of the bargain even if the rest of the batting had little to write home about. Watson, like everyone else, is of the opinion that the mere age consideration in dropping Katich was a blunder on the part of the selectors because he feels that Katich could have easily been serving Australian cricket for another couple of years. With Katich now being given a raw deal, the door may not be closed on him, but it is virtually tough to push back in from here on.

It is also interesting how Katich would view a situation if the selectors, who have been unable to come up with a line of back up openers, were to find themselves in trouble. Although the selection policy was claimed to be intended at preparing the next generation of openers for the major task of regaining the Ashes, that the Australians have now lost twice in succession, that they have not had any opener within domestic cricket pushing those in the team for their position has made the selectors easy targets over the decision to drop Australia’s most prolific run maker in three years. Given that openers generally make formidable partners, it is only natural for Watson to feel the absence of his regular companion and also, knowing how they have worked together to uphold Australian cricket’s image in rather trying times.