Experienced Australian pacer Peter Siddle is eager to make a comeback into the test setup after recovering from an injury which cut short his tour of New Zealand earlier this year. Siddle suffered from a stress fracture and that ruled him out of Australia’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, where the Kangaroos are scheduled to play three test matches.
Another worrying aspect for Siddle personally would be the form displayed by his contemporaries. In absence of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood led the Australian pace attack quite efficiently in New Zealand. Along with Hazlewood, James Pattinson too left an impression and bowled with a lot of energy. Jackson Bird, who was named for the tour of Sri Lanka, is another close rival of the experienced Siddle.
“I know when I’m fully fit that I’m probably going to be getting picked,” Siddle said. “When I’m at my best, I know I’m one of the better bowlers in the country and that’s all I can work at.”I’m always a confident person. I’m not too worried about what’s going on outside. “I’m old enough now and I’ve played enough cricket with the experience I have, to know the cricket side of things will be all right.”
“I started to struggle a bit in the second innings,” he said. “Because I was probably compensating the front foot with the ankle, I hurt my back. “You never want to be injured, but it’s a blessing in a way that I could get both (injuries treated). “I could get the left ankle looked at. Every time I banged down it was sore. “Nothing was showing up on scans and so you just keep playing. I knew it wasn’t quite right, but you never want to give up an opportunity to play for Australia,” the pacer further added about his injury.
Siddle mentioned the fact that he worked out on his weight in order to enhance his fitness. “I was carrying a bit too much weight – I didn’t have as much muscle and I wasn’t as strong,” he added. “I’ve converted that and turned it all around to be a lot more of a fine-tuned athlete. “You need to try to stay ahead of the guys who are younger and trying to come up.”