Siddle aiming for Matador return

Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle is eyeing a cricket comeback in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup this October, as he continues his recovery from back and ankle injuries that have seen him sidelined since February.

Siddle missed Australia's most recent Test – in New Zealand in February – after back stress fractures got the better of him, ruling him out of the upcoming Sri Lanka tour.

During the enforced layoff, Siddle also had surgery on a nagging issue with his left ankle.

Having now returned to fitness training with Victoria, Siddle estimates a return to bowling is one month away.

“My rehab is coming along nicely and I’m back running, so my ankle is all healed and going well,” Siddle told cricket.com.au.

“My back is still taking time to recover, which is normal, but there’s no rush at all to get back for anything.

“I was never going to be quite right for the Sri Lanka tour sadly.

“The first worry was to get back running and moving so that’s fine …. it’s probably another month until I get back to bowling.”

Siddle was left out of Victoria’s Matador Cup team last summer as the Bushrangers opted for an attack of James Pattinson, John Hastings and Scott Boland, but the 31-year-old is adamant the 50-over tournament will see his return to competitive cricket.

The wealth of fast-bowling talent around the country has also cast some doubt over Siddle’s future in Baggy Green, particularly after a year spent in and out of the side.

He played one Test in the 2015 Ashes, one against New Zealand in the Australia-based series, another two against West Indies, and one more against the Black Caps on their home turf.

But the Victorian is optimistic he’ll be back this in the Test XI this summer.

“I’ve got a rough idea of the plan going forward.

“Once I get back into bowling it’ll be no different to a normal preseason for me. I haven’t done a preseason for about five years which sounds weird but I’ve always been travelling and playing around the world so you miss those opportunities.

“I’ll just train alongside the Vic lads. I’m probably lucky with my age got the history behind me about what I need to bowl, my workloads, my limits.

“I’m pretty used to heavy workloads and the build-up, so I won’t need to do as much as those guys, I’ll be slightly behind them in the bowling side of things but come Matador and the preseason games leading up to that, I’ll be a part of all that.

“I’ll look to use look to use the Matador Cup as lead in to the first few Shield games before the first Test.

“I want to be part of that first Test for the summer and a series against South Africa is always a massive series.”