Denying Katich a contract prompts NSW outrage

MELBOURNE, May 2: Simon Katich's surprise omission from the Cricket Australia's list of 25 contracted players has prompted outrage from his state with a senior New South Wales official questioning the credibility of the selection process.
"Simon Katich continues to be one of the best performed batsmen in Australian first-class and One-day cricket and his sacking beggars belief," New South Wales chief executive Dave Gilbert said in a statement from the West Indies.
"With the retirements of Justin Langer and Damien Martyn, his sacking is even more bewildering and seriously questions the credibility of the selection process" Gilbert was quoted as saying by 'The Australian' newspaper.
With Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath also retiring, only Katich and veteran Queensland paceman Michael Kasprowicz had their contracts discontinued. Young South Australian leg-spinner Cullen Bailey was one of six new names on the list.
The others were West Australian batsmen Chris Rogers and Adam Voges, exciting Tasmanian swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and all-rounders James Hopes from Queensland and Cameron White from Victoria.
Jason Gillespie, 32, was retained as one of seven pace bowlers, despite playing little international cricket since fading on the Ashes tour almost two years ago.
With the retirement of McGrath, the experience of his former Test new-ball partner is clearly considered an asset.
Bailey and young off-spinner Dan Cullen, who was lucky to retain his contract after a poor season, are among four spinners in the squad.
But the debate that has surfaced is whether Brad Hogg should challenge Stuart MacGill for a Test place next summer after left-arm chinaman bowler had such an impressive World Cup.
Hogg claimed 21 wickets at an average of 16 in 11 matches, but Darren Lehmann has dismissed suggestions that One-day form should be given serious consideration while choosing a Test team.
Once widely regarded among the best batsmen against spin in the world, Lehmann highlighted the fact that Hogg has struggled to play four-day cricket regularly for Western Australia in recent seasons.
The former Australia vice-captain believes that if the selectors take the unlikely step of overlooking MacGill, they should consider blooding Bailey or Cullen.
"Stuart MacGill's Test record is second to none amongst the current players now that Warney has retired, so I'd like to think they'd go to him first," Lehmann said.
"But I'm not a selector and I'm not sure which way they would go,' he said adding "a lot may depend on how players start the season but there were times in recent seasons when Hoggy didn't play four-day cricket for WA."
Indeed, until fellow left-arm wrist spinner Beau Casson moved from Western Australia to NSW last season, Hogg was playing only One-day cricket for WA.
"That says it all," claimed Lehmann, who said that age would not be an issue. MacGill and Hogg turned 36 in February.
While Hogg has an outstanding One-day record - 133 wickets at 27.11 in 111 matches - to be Australia's most successful limited overs spinner, he has only nine wickets at 50.22 in four Tests spaced from 1996 to 2003.
In his last Test, against Zimbabwe in Sydney, Hogg was out-bowled by Katich's occasional left-arm wrist spin.
Katich bowled Australia to victory with a second innings 6-65, while Hogg claimed 1-70.
Despite playing in the shadow of Warne for most of his career, MacGill has still claimed an exceptional 198 wickets in 40 Tests to have one of the best strike rates for a spinner in world cricket.
Wicketkeeping great Ian Healy has also said Hogg needed to become a regular first-class performer for WA before he could be considered at Test level.