Don't think old tiff with Clarke led to axing: Katich

"I don't think that was an issue. We had a professional relationship," Katich said in a press conference.The 35-year-old opener, who was axed by CA despite a reasonably good Test record, has decided to continue playing nonetheless.

But he rubbished suggestions that Clarke might have had a hand in getting him ousted to settle scores for the dressing room tiff during which the two came to blows.
"I know there's going to be a lot made of that," he said.

"Having seen the press over the last few days and obviously Michael Slater made some comments the other day," he added.

But Katich did admit that the two had a stand off which was reportedly triggered during the celebrations of a Test win over South Africa.

"I'd just like to say that in regards to that situation, I'm not going to shy away from the fact that we had the incident a couple of years ago.

"But we've both been really professional in handling that over the last two years and it hasn't been a problem since then. So I don't think that's an issue," he said. Katich was especially scathing in his criticism of the selection panel and ridiculed it by saying, "If you pay peanuts you get monkeys".

"It's a business, there's no doubt about that, that's just the way sport has gone. Being realistic it's got to go that way, because you're dealing with guys' careers. This is not just me, there's plenty of other guys out there as well who've gone through this. So maybe something good will come out of this situation," he added.

Katich also said he does not fear the repercussions of his outburst."Technically I'm still contracted until the end of June 30. So no doubt the phone will ring and I'll probably have to answer for this. But at the same time, I'm not going to stand up here and lie about it all, because that's not going to help anyone moving forward.

"Hopefully the review, something good will come out of that review, because this might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back," he said.