Simon Katich Profile

Profile

With an unconventional style and a get-your-gloves-dirty approach, Simon Katich proves you don't have to be fashionable to be successful. His walk-across-the-stumps technique isn't as crabby as Shivnarine Chanderpaul's, and he is scrawny next to Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson, but Katich has been a must-have man at the top of Australia's order in the second stage of his career. Katich is capable of batting at two paces: he can leave and work the ball across his body for hours, or release free-flowing drives through cover, cuts behind point or heavy pulls. The method depends on the situation and how he feels, with his body language usually giving away the mood. An accomplished leader of New South Wales, he has plenty to offer tactically, although he is expected to be too old to be a serious contender as the next Test captain. While his left-arm wrist-spin is under-valued by Ricky Ponting - Katich also says bowling aggravates his shoulder - his runs are always appreciated.