My somewhat biased prediction 12 months ago was that Western Australian cricket had three young players who had all the attributes of future champions. All three of them work very hard, they are determined and focused, they have loads of talent and most importantly they are fantastic blokes who have rock solid characters.

So far Matt Nicholson has made his Test debut on Boxing Day last summer, Michael Hussey must be somewhere in Australian cricket's big picture and now Simon Katich has been selected for this current tour of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Only avid supporters of Sheffield Shield cricket may have heard the name Simon Mathew Katich, but having played with this batting dynamo for the last few seasons I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the 'Katt' playing good cricket for Australia for years to come. A left-handed batsman with a fierce pull shot as a trademark, he has had two outstanding seasons for Western Australia. With forearms like Popeye and an eye like a hungry hawk, Katto has dominated the best Shield attacks around the country. Batting his greatest strength, the 'Katt' also bowls left arm leg-spinners, very similar in style to Michael Bevan, and his fielding rivals the best going around. This tour promises to be an excellent learning experience for my young West Australian, and now, proudly, my Australian teammate.

The second new face on this tour is the big, strong Queensland run machine Matty Hayden. Any player who averages over 55 in first-class cricket must be an outstanding player. While his record speaks for itself, 'Haydos' adds great spirit and character to this squad. A thoughtful team man, he will be waiting eagerly for another crack at Test cricket. There is no doubt that he has the talent to succeed in the international arena, proven by the fact that he already has a Test match century to his name. Knowing his determination to succeed it won't be long before he becomes a consistent performer for Australia. All he needs is an opportunity that he will be hoping comes along in the next seven weeks.

Both left-handers will be valuable assets to this team and to Australian cricket for a good time to come.

From Colombo, JL