KATICH QUITS IPL POST
Sunrisers lose another Aussie
SIMON Katich has sensationally quit the IPL franchise coached by his former teammate Tom Moody, six weeks before the season even begins.
The Herald Sun understands the Sunrisers Hyderabad assistant coach decided to walk out on the organisation in the immediate wake of the IPL auction held last weekend.
Sources say former Test star Katich disagreed with how the team was being managed and felt pre-auction plans were disregarded on the run.
Katich could not be reached for comment at the time of publishing.
In a social media video posted by Sunrisers Hyderabad after the auction on Sunday night, Katich gave an explanation to fans about the orange army’s decision to recruit South African internationals Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen.
Katich’s resignation follows a mini-exodus of Australians from the Sunrisers, after Hyderabad dropped a bombshell by dumping franchise player David Warner last year.
Trevor Bayliss and Brad Haddin have also departed as coaches since last season.
Former Australian Test player and World Cup winner Moody moved from a director of cricket role in 2021 back into the head coaching hot seat for this coming season and had brought in former Western Australia teammate Katich as an assistant.
Katich is a highly experienced IPL coach, having previously held the head coaching position at Royal Challengers Bangalore.
There is no love lost between Warner and the Sunrisers after his brutal axing from the organisation which he had served for several years and led to an IPL title.
Warner re-entered the IPL auction this year and was bought for $1.16m by Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals, where he will partner fellow Australian World Cup hero Mitchell Marsh.
As the Sunrisers struggled in last year’s IPL, Warner, the captain, was controversially dumped.
Moody explained at the time Warner was being left out for “team balance” and that although “shocked and disappointed”, Warner claimed he understood the rationale.
Warner had been struggling for runs, but went on to dominate in the World Cup for Australia and was named player of the T20 tournament.
Sunrisers chose not to retain Warner’s services and he returned to being a free agent.
New Zealand great Daniel Vettori said the decision to drop Warner was “staggering” while South African star Dale Steyn declared there was more going on behind the scenes than the public was being told.