May 15, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1428

SYDNEY, May 14: Simon Katich is likely to stay on at New South Wales (NSW), despite lucrative offers from other state sides.

Katich was omitted from Cricket Australia's list of 25 contracted players for the 2007-08 season and the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Victoria and Western Australia, Katich's home state, were keen on signing him up.

“Simon is someone we cannot afford to lose,” Dave Gilbert, New South Wales' chief executive, told the paper.

“He is a vital member of the NSW team and we're desperately keen to keep him. He still has at least five good years in him and we're hopeful that they will be with us.”

Katich last played for Australia in the DLF Cup tri-series in Malaysia last year and lost his place in the one-day side since the return of Matthew Hayden. He's currently in England representing Derbyshire in the County Championship and a day after he was omitted from the contracts list, he smashed 221 against Somerset.

Gilbert expressed his surprise that Cricket Australia (CA) overlooked the experienced Katich in favour of several younger players. However, he remained confident that an Australia recall was around the corner.

“At the time I expressed my shock and outrage at CA's decision not to give him a contract, and I still can't believe it happened,” Gilbert said. “To my mind, and a lot of other people's, he is easily among the 25 best players in the country at present. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he turned around and proved the selectors wrong next season.”—Agencies