Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has opened up on the fallout and axing of his nemesis, Simon Katich.
Back in 2009, the pair had an infamous run-in at the SCG changerooms, with Katich grabbing Clarke by the throat over a disagreement surrounding the team song and when it should be sung.
Two years after the incident, Katich was axed from the Cricket Australia contract list shortly after Clarke had replaced Ricky Ponting as captain.
Despite various rumours and reports, Clarke has always strongly denied he had any involvement in Katich's exile.
In the wake of Usman Khawaja's contract not being renewed by Cricket Australia, a listener on The Big Sports Breakfast asked Clarke if there was anything "personal" on his behalf in relation to Katich's dumping.
"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 the Simon Katich affair?" the caller asked.
Clarke responded, strongly denying once again he had any involvement with the former New South Wales captain's axing.
"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."
Clarke revealed he had no role in Cricket Australia's decision to award contracts to Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey when the organisation was forced to cut one of its three senior members.
"The three they had to choose from was Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Simon Katich," Clarke said.
"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."
The four-time Allan Border Medallist said he "fought" hard to bring Katich back into the squad during the 2013 Ashes series.
"You are entitled to feel whatever you feel but I can tell you now, on that Ashes tour I fought to have him back into that squad because, I agree, we needed a top order batsman, and his numbers were outstanding over a long period of time," Clarke said.
"I understand a lot of people's question and frustrations around it because it (Katich's axing) was in and around the time I had become captain of the team, new contracts had to be done, there was Chinese whispers about what exactly happened in the change room.
"I can understand why the public thought, 'okay now all of a sudden Michael's become captain he doesn't like Simon so he doesn't want him in the team.'"
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/cricket/michael-clarke-disputes-claim-about-simon-katich-contract-after-dressing-room-stoush/487513ac-7ed1-401c-b544-3ffac1b8cc65
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