Katich retires from T20s, ends playing career

Simon Katich has announced his retirement from T20s, thus ending his career as a player in all forms of the game. Katich had retired from Australian first-class cricket in June 2012 but had continued playing county cricket until 2013 and had led Perth Scorchers to the Big Bash League title last season. He had also participated in a few Ryobi Cup matches in October 2013.

"It's always difficult when it comes to making these sorts of decisions," Katich said. "I've obviously been in a similar situation when I made the decision to retire from first-class cricket in Australia a few years ago. Having been through that before, it helped me understand the process a bit better and the more I thought about it, I felt the time was right.

"I have a young family, I've had a great run and for my last game at the WACA, my home ground, to finish with a win in a successful (BBL) campaign, it's the stuff you dream of. I'll finish on a high and that was a big part of the reason I decided to pull up stumps."

Katich will retire with immediate effect and will thus not be a part of the Scorchers side for the Champions League Twenty20 later this year. Katich played 118 T20 games and scored 2483 runs at an average of 30.28 and a strike-rate of 126.61. Of these, three were internationals for Australia.

He played T20s in England for Derbyshire, Hampshire and Lancashire and for New South Wales in Australia. He also played for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL in 2008 and 2009 and for Duronto Rajshahi in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2013, apart from his 37 appearances for Scorchers. In 2013, Katich accepted the position of player development co-ordinator with the AFL team, Greater Western Sydney.

Justin Langer, the Perth Scorchers coach and Katich's former team-mate, said he was happy Katich could retire on a high.

"Simon's contribution to Western Australian and Australian cricket has been immense and, whilst I'm disappointed he'll no longer play for the Scorchers, I respect his decision to move on," Langer said. "As a person of extremely high integrity, I know 'Katto' has given this decision a lot of thought and I respect that he wants to finish his playing career as the captain of the triumphant Scorchers team last summer.

"In terms of leadership; there have been few stronger leaders in Western Australian cricket history. His honesty, example and fiercely competitive spirit have held him in high-regard everywhere he has been. Simon retires as one of the most admired and respected people I have had the privilege to play and work with and there is no doubt he will be a success in anything he pursues in the future."

Katich, who played 56 Tests and 45 ODIs between 2001 and 2010, had been an important part of the Australian Test squad until the Ashes series of 2010-11 sparked a call for change. Katich lost his Cricket Australia contract a few months later, ending his chances of playing more Tests. CA chairman Wally Edwards said last year that the decision to drop Katich from the Test side was a mistake.

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