Bird replaces Siddle at Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire have signed Jackson Bird as their red-ball replacement for injured Test teammate Peter Siddle.

Bird, 29, will be available for Nottinghamshire's first 10 County Championship matches - in place of fellow Australia seamer Siddle, who is unavailable because of a stress fracture in his back.

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Another Australian, allrounder Dan Christian, will be in action for the Outlaws in both white-ball formats this season.

Bird, whose experience of English conditions dates back to the 2013 Ashes and a spell with Hampshire last summer, has taken 21 wickets in his five Tests and helped to bowl Australia to victory over New Zealand in Christchurch last week.

"Nottinghamshire are a really good club, and I have heard a lot about them from fellow Australians who have been there before - such as Ed Cowan and Peter Siddle," Bird said.

"The surfaces in England and at Trent Bridge should suit the way I bowl, so I can't wait to get started."

Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell explained he had no hesitation following Australia's example once Siddle was ruled out.

"After Peter got injured, Jackson is the man Australia turned to," he said.

"He performed very well in that Test match - he's a similar bowler to Peter in many ways, and he was the obvious choice for us in the circumstances."

Bird will help provide a formidable frontline partnership with England's Stuart Broad in the early weeks of the new season at Trent Bridge.