Debutant could feature in first Test: Siddle

Peter Siddle says he is unlikely to be fit for the first Test against South Africa and believes Australia’s line-up could feature a fast-bowling debutant if Mitchell Starc is also still sidelined with injury.

Siddle is back bowling off the long run in training with Victoria and hopes to play some role in the ongoing Matador BBQs One-Day Cup, however he conceded the first Test of the summer, which begins on November 3 – in just four weeks' time – could be too soon for him to target.

"I'm looking forward to hopefully taking part in the Matador Cup at the back-end, once we get over to Sydney," Siddle told cricket.com.au's The Unplayable Podcast.

"I think the first Test could be a bit of a stretch at this stage, but I'm definitely trying to get it right for the first Shield game (on October 25 against Tasmania).

"Then (I want to) get a few Shield games under my belt, a few overs under my belt – that's probably what's going to restrict me (from Test selection), so the second or third Test is probably more what I'm aiming for, so hopefully I can play some part in that series."

Starc meanwhile, suffered a freak injury setback during a designated rest period, running into some training equipment and slicing open his lower leg.

The accident has the left-arm quick in a leg brace to assist recovery and he is now racing to be fit to prove his fitness for the first Test against the Proteas at the WACA Ground.

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New South Wales play Queensland in a Sheffield Shield match from October 25 and if Starc is still unavailable at that time, the national selection panel will face a difficult decision regarding whether they should hurry their spearhead back into the Test team.

If Starc is indeed declared unavailable, Siddle said there is a likely quartet of pacemen who he believes will challenge for a third pace spot alongside Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird.

"Josh and Birdy would be the two (first choices), but after that it's a bit open," he added. "It probably comes back to the 'A' series and the blokes that performed in that (Redbacks pair Joe Mennie and Daniel Worrall, and Victoria's Chris Tremain).

"So the three blokes that have been over in South Africa debuting, along with Scotty Boland, who is also over there.

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"There's probably a good four they could look to pick from.

"But we'll see. Hopefully Starc is fine and hopefully I'm back fit and firing soon enough, and I can play a part in that series, but there could be a few opportunities in that series."

Australia haven't beaten South Africa at home since the summer of 2005-06, losing two series 2-1 and 1-0 in the intervening years.

New pace trio Mennie, Worrall and Tremain have all had a tough time of things in the current ODI series in South Africa, with the visitors succumbing to three defeats from as many matches and some large totals from the home side.

The three quicks were picked for the Australia A first-class side on the back of their strong Sheffield Shield form last summer – which subsequently earned them ODI selection for the South Africa tour in the absence of Starc, Hazlewood and Nathan Coulter-Nile – and could well be more suited to taking on the Proteas in that format.