Having been forced to sit on the sidelines due to a multitude of fitness issues, Australia’s Peter Siddle has admitted the drop in pace and expressed an intent to bowl at full throttle once again.
Speaking to reporters in Hobart, the 31-year old aimed to be available for selection in time for the home Tests against South Africa in November by participating in a couple of Sheffield Shield matches just prior to that.
Siddle enthused, “That's the plan. I've started back bowling and the body's feeling good. So, it's just a matter of getting it all right and preparing before then. Once they sat down and worked out how much I'd bowled, about a thousand more overs than anyone else in Australia in the last couple of years, it showed that I'd bowled a lot more.”
He added, “So, I was putting my body under a lot of pressure and it was taking its toll. So, I had dropped off (the pace) a bit and I think this freshen up has been great. I feel relaxed, a lot fresher and (have) got that hunger back.”
A veteran of 61 Tests, the right-arm seam bowler has scalped 208 wickets at an average of 29.88. With his previous match coming against New Zealand earlier this year, the Victorian missed the flight to Sri Lanka because of back and ankle troubles.
Looking ahead to the future, Siddle affirmed, “I've no specific date but both Shield games before that (November) Test series, that's the time frame I'm looking at. I know that when I'm at my best I'm one of the best bowlers in the country and that's the good thing about this time (off) - it's given me time to freshen up and get the body right.“
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