‘Fully-fit’ Siddle ready for giving England Ashes ‘peppering’, says Victoria coach

SYDNEY - Victoria cricket team coach Greg Shipperd believes that fast bowler Peter Siddle is fit to reclaim his place in the Australian Test team for next month’s Ashes series against England.

Siddle’s last match for Australia was in January before stress fractures in his back sidelined him from active cricket.

The 25-year-old has been named in the national squads for the upcoming Twenty20 and one-day matches against Sri Lanka.

Shipperd suggested that an Ashes recall was a formality following his impressive Sheffield Shield performance against Tasmania.

“I think that was just a matter of course once his body got itself right. As the chairman of selectors (Andrew Hilditch) said, he’s a key player in all three forms of the game and I would certainly agree with that,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Shipperd, as saying.

“He’s been really strong at the crease, his run-up, his rhythm has been terrific, and more pleasingly he’s got the ball in this game in the right areas. He would have been a terrific handful out there today and showed probably why the English batsmen will be looking over their shoulders at him,” he added.

Earlier, Siddle had said that he is hopeful about his selection in Sunday’s Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka, which would help him bid for a Test return.

“I’m not a selector, but hopefully (they’ll pick) four quicks, that always gives me the greatest opportunity and then (Marcus) North bowling spin, that’s probably the best-case scenario for me at this stage,” Siddle had said.

“But I’ve just got to keep improving over the next month or so, keep bowling well and hopefully get a few wickets along the way.

Just show them that I’m fully fit, strong, bowling well and bowling fast and being consistent and I think that’s the key areas that they’re looking at me for,” he added. (ANI)