Katich calls selector to know if his name is on Boxing Day Test shortlist

Sydney: Out of favour opening batsman Simon Katich has directly asked national selector John Inverarity whether he is being considered for the Boxing Day Test.

Resigned to the fact that his Test career was as good as over, Katich rang Inverarity on Friday in response to suggestions he was being considered for a shock recall to open the batting at the MCG against India. Katich is in Western Australia preparing for his first match with Big Bash League team Perth Scorchers. “Simon has placed a call in to the chairman of selectors to see what’s going on but they’ve been playing phone tag,” Katich’s manager, Robert Joske, said. According to a report, Australian skipper Michael Clarke is pressing for the inclusion of Katich in the squad to strengthen the batting order after his team lost the Hobart Test against New Zealand. Katich has made 395 runs at an average of 39.5 and hit two centuries this summer. Katich had earlier criticised Cricket Australia’s selection panel headed by Andrew Hilditch for cancelling his contract in June 2011. Though Clarke and Katich have had tense relations since the 2009 Sydney Test, both have insisted that their differences would not affect the team’s selection issue. Counting against Katich is the fact that, as of last night, he had not been given an official invite to coach Mickey Arthur’s batting camp in Melbourne next week. ANI