Ponting backs discarded Katich
Former captain feels batsman's reaction is justified.
SYDNEY:
Former captain Ricky Ponting has said he was shocked by Cricket Australia's (CA) decision to dump senior batsman Simon Katich from its list of 25 contracted players.
Ponting said the opening batsman was also within his right to criticise the treatment by the selectors in comments he made during a press conference last week.
Katich, a 56-Test veteran, said he was stunned to be told last week that he had been cut from the list of contracted players for the 2011-12 season, despite being one of the country's most consistent performers.
Following his exclusion, the 35-year-old opening batsman said the decision was "absolutely ridiculous" and Ponting said Katich's criticism was warranted.
"It's just fair to say he didn't hold back in his press conference and rightly so as well," said the former Australian captain on a television sports programme.
"To be omitted from the contract list was a great shock to him. It was a shock to me too. I was taken aback that he wasn't named even though his performance in the last two or three years has been as good as anybody's in the world."
Asked whether he meant his comments to be a criticism of the selectors and the board, Ponting added, "You can make of that whatever you like.
"I would have liked to have another old bloke around the group with me, yeah."
Ponting and Mike Hussey, both 36, have been retained as CA contracted players and Ponting will play as a batsman only in the Test and One-Day International (ODI)sides after giving up the captaincy to his deputy Michael Clarke.
"It puts us 36-year-olds on notice now Mike Hussey and myself," he said. "It's going to make us work that little bit harder."
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.
Former captain Ricky Ponting has said he was shocked by Cricket Australia's (CA) decision to dump senior batsman Simon Katich from its list of 25 contracted players.
Ponting said the opening batsman was also within his right to criticise the treatment by the selectors in comments he made during a press conference last week.
Katich, a 56-Test veteran, said he was stunned to be told last week that he had been cut from the list of contracted players for the 2011-12 season, despite being one of the country's most consistent performers.
Following his exclusion, the 35-year-old opening batsman said the decision was "absolutely ridiculous" and Ponting said Katich's criticism was warranted.
"It's just fair to say he didn't hold back in his press conference and rightly so as well," said the former Australian captain on a television sports programme.
"To be omitted from the contract list was a great shock to him. It was a shock to me too. I was taken aback that he wasn't named even though his performance in the last two or three years has been as good as anybody's in the world."
Asked whether he meant his comments to be a criticism of the selectors and the board, Ponting added, "You can make of that whatever you like.
"I would have liked to have another old bloke around the group with me, yeah."
Ponting and Mike Hussey, both 36, have been retained as CA contracted players and Ponting will play as a batsman only in the Test and One-Day International (ODI)sides after giving up the captaincy to his deputy Michael Clarke.
"It puts us 36-year-olds on notice now Mike Hussey and myself," he said. "It's going to make us work that little bit harder."
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.