Hughes ready to fill ‘dumped’ Katich’s big shoes as Oz opening batsman

 Hughes ready to fill ‘dumped’ Katich’s big shoes as Oz opening batsmanColombo, Aug 25: Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes has said that he feels desperately sorry for `dumped' Simon Katich, but admitted that he wants to do the best he can to be the experienced batsman's replacement.

Hughes will open for Australia in the three-day tour match against a Sri Lankan board selection, which started today in Colombo, and he is also expected to do the same in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

"''I did feel sorry for him. They are decisions that people have got to make, and I'm not one of those," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hughes, as saying.

"I was fortunate enough that my debut game for Australia [in South Africa] was with Simon. I remember that and I'll always remember the time Simon gave me back in NSW when I was only 17, 18, going into the squad and what he did personally for me."

"I've always been that supportive of Simon, and now I'm here all I can focus on is playing the best possible cricket I can, but Simon's been nothing short of outstanding personally to me," he added.

The first Test will be held in Galle from August 30. (ANI)