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Katich doesn't want top job

Simon Katich doesn't want to replace Ricky Ponting as captain and is happy supporting the current leader

Cricinfo staff
12-Dec-2009
Simon Katich: "I know what my role in the team is and that's to open the batting"  •  Getty Images

Simon Katich: "I know what my role in the team is and that's to open the batting"  •  Getty Images

Simon Katich doesn't want to replace Ricky Ponting as captain and is happy supporting the current leader. After Australia's draw with West Indies in Adelaide there has been some noise from former players about removing Ponting and Rodney Hogg, a vocal critic, wants Katich to be promoted.
"It's a shock to hear that sort of stuff," Katich told AAP. "Ricky's obviously done a fantastic job and I'm just happy being back in the team. It's flattering to hear that sort of comment but at the same time I know what my role in the team is and that's to open the batting and hopefully be a senior player to help Ricky out. From that point of view, I don't buy into that at all."
Katich did not believe criticism of Ponting, who was in charge of the Ashes defeat in August, is warranted and wanted the team to take on extra responsibility to improve the results. "Whenever we don't win a Test match there's always speculation about why we didn't win and the captain always comes under so much more heat than anyone else," he said. "We did everything we could the other day to try and win the Test match, it didn't work out. The West Indies deserve some credit for the way they played, they showed a lot of application.
"There's always some speculation about Ricky when the results don't go to plan but there's obviously 11 of us out there trying to help him out and win a game of cricket. It's up to all of us to get a bit better at that." The third Test against West Indies begins in Perth on Wednesday, with Australia holding a 1-0 advantage.