Row with Clarke: Dean Jones tells Katich to get over it

“The recent Australian selectors had to make some serious decisions on players for the future of the Australian cricket team. They basically decided that the team was too top heavy with mature players and one had to go,and that was Simon Katich,” says Jones.

Commenting on Katich and his management criticizing Michael Clarke and Cricket Australia for not following up his non-selection,Jones asks: “Do people get a call from their past employers when they are retrenched or sacked? He clearly hasn’t worked it out. Players of today can be a little precious at times. They want everything and nine times out of 10,they get it.”

He further opines that maybe the selectors got it right.

In Katich’s last seven innings,he averaged only 29. I averaged over 85 from my last seven hits and he calls himself poorly treated?

“Maybe Katich should talk to guys like Tom Moody,Jamie Siddons and Jamie Cox about how they were treated. Then he might think he has been treated better than he first thought,” says Jones.

“Let me tell you from experience it is awful being dropped. I was dropped seven times from the ODI team from 1986 to ’94. I was ranked the No. 1 player in the world by the ICC for four years during that time. I never got any feedback and never wanted it. I realised that no matter what you say,it won’t change their opinion. So why waste the energy? When your captain and coach don’t want you,then it”s time to go. Test cricket was taken away from me and I didn’t just want to play ODI cricket so I retired,” says Jones.

Jones adds: “I love Katich as a player and he is a solid bloke. But,really,he is 36 and you don’t have to be Einstein to know that the selectors would pick Hussey and Ponting before him,no matter what he thinks of Clarke. My advice to Katich is to mentor the kids in New South Wales. Let me tell you from experience,he will get a lot of fun out of it!

“When your international career is finished,you feel something has died in you. It is hard to deal with. Depression can take over. This is a time when your support network must help you. One day you are in the inner sanctum and you owned the dressing rooms,the next day you’re not allowed back in. It is a gut-wrenching experience and it will take Katich a year or so to get over it,” Jones said.

“It took me two years to get over my sacking. I just put all my effort into the Vics. I got a huge amount of fun in helping the likes of Hodge,Elliott,Williams,Harvey and others. There is so much pleasure in helping young kids following their dreams trying to play for Australia. I hope Katich does the same. He still has so much to offer to Australian cricket,” Jones concludes.