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‘Baggy Green’ cap the ultimate aim

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Simon Katch.

Bangalore: Australia ‘A’ skipper Simon Katich has said his team’s jousts with the India and New Zealand ‘A’ teams in the coming days will be critical for players itching to earn the revered ‘Baggy Green’ cap.

Speaking to the media a day after landing in Bangalore for the two three-day games and the tri-series, Katich said: “After this ‘A’ tour, our selectors will pick the National team and we have players in contention.

“We have four fast bowlers and three spinners and some of them will be in contention and for us batsmen, you never know. Someone could get injured or someone might lose form,” he said.

Katich said the recent acrimony that marred India-Australia clashes may not be repeated when the senior Australia side lands in Bangalore in October.

“I played in the IPL and a few of the guys sorted out their differences and future matches will be much better contested. I still think it will be a tough series. India is a tough environment and the only time we won was when we came here last. Hopefully the relationship between the two sides will be much improved from what we saw last summer in Australia,” Katich said.

The Indo-Aussie rivalry might run the Ashes close in terms of intensity and thrills, he said. The last seven, eight years had seen some amazing clashes and the coming series would be no different, he said.

“But, we will have a completely different team. No (Shane) Warne, (Adam) Gilchrist, (Glenn) McGrath, (Justin) Langer, (Damien) Martyn! It will be a challenge,” Katich said.

Katich said securing the Australian cap would be much more of an incentive than bagging an IPL contract for his teammates on the current tour.

On the immediate task of countering S. Sreesanth in the three-day game against India ‘A’, that will commence here on September 3, Katich said: “We played together at Mohali in the IPL and we are good mates. But when we play against him here on Wednesday, he will probably try and knock us over and take a few wickets but we have work to do and there will be no drama.”

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