Siddle named in PM's XI to play Black Caps

Australian paceman Peter Siddle will get his first feel for the pink Kookaburra ball under match conditions when he lines up for the Prime Minister’s XI against New Zealand at Manuka Oval later next week.

As well as the day-night clash on Friday, Siddle will also feature in the Cricket Australia XI to take on the Black Caps at the same venue in a two-day match next weekend as he looks to press his claims for a spot in the first Commonwealth Bank Test on November 5.

The 30-year-old Victorian earlier this week admitted he had to yet to practice with the pink ball, let alone play with it, ahead of next month’s historic day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval.

Siddle had anticipated the opening round of Sheffield Shield as being his first experience with the new type of ball, but will now use the Canberra clash as a chance to learn about its unique characteristics before the Shield match begins on October 28.

"I’ve never trained with a pink ball, haven’t had much to do with it at this stage," Siddle told Melbourne radio station SEN.

"I haven’t played any of these (Shield) games over the last couple of years because I’ve been away with the Test team.

"So for a fair chunk of the Test guys who are going to be around this summer it’s going to be a first for a fair few.

"The first Shield game (for Victoria against Queensland at the MCG) is a pink ball game, a day-nighter so everyone will get their opportunity there to either play it for the first time or have another crack at it and I think it’s just play it and see how it goes."

As well as being an opportunity to get accustomed to the pink ball, the matches in Canberra will also provide some much-needed match practice for Siddle, who has been left out of Victoria’s XI during their four Matador BBQs One-Day Cup matches to date.

Australia’s Bupa Support Team Head Coach Darren Lehmann bemoaned Siddle’s exclusion earlier this week with the rest of the prospective Test players featuring in the domestic tournament, but National Selector Rod Marsh believes Siddle will now have the opportunity to impress the selection panel ahead of the international summer.

"We believe it is important to field a strong squad against what we know will be a very competitive New Zealand side in these tour matches," Marsh said.

"Peter performed well at The Oval in the final Ashes Test and as part of his preparation for the summer we want to give him some high-standard match practice.

"These tour matches and the first round of the Sheffield Shield give Peter important opportunities to impress ahead of the Test series."

With the Bushrangers likely to feature in the elimination final of the Matador Cup to be played on the same day as the PM’s XI match, Cricket Victoria will announce a replacement player for Siddle in due course.