Broad an alright bloke: Siddle

Breaking news: Stuart Broad is actually a pretty good bloke.

That's according to Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle, who played two matches with the England quick during his recent stint with Broad's English county side Nottinghamshire.

Broad was painted as public enemy No.1 during the Ashes last summer after he refused to walk despite clearly edging a ball at Trent Bridge 12 months ago.

Despite several former Australian players standing up for Broad and his stance against walking, the 28-year-old was booed the length and breadth of the country during England's dismal tour. 

The rhetoric directed towards him was particularly vocal during the first Test at the Gabba, with Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper instigating a "Broad ban" and refusing to print his name, referring to him only as "the 28-year-old medium pacer".

The point was not lost on Broad, who got some of his own back by bringing a copy of the offending newspaper to a press conference after he'd taken five wickets on the opening day of the series.

Having been both a friend and a foe of Broad's in recent months, Siddle was more than willing to stick up for his new teammate.

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"Even though everything that's gone on between Australia and England, we've always been pretty close mates and we spent a lot of time together over there," Siddle said on Wednesday.

"Australian people will probably hate me for that.

"But he's good fun and I think playing alongside him, swapping stories and swapping different training things and techniques and just chatting about how he goes about it (has been enjoyable).

"Obviously I learnt a few things about Jimmy (Anderson) as well and how he goes about it in his conditions. It's always good to get the goss on some of those things.

"You talk to any international (no matter) what country they're from, it's always good to hear from other people who are doing what you're doing."

Despite being born on opposing sides of the Ashes divide, Siddle says he and Broad have something in common – former Victoria quick and current England bowling coach David Saker.

"I grew up working with David Saker and he was pretty much my coach up until he left to go and coach (England)," Siddle said.

"From a coaching point of view, (England's bowlers) are getting told the same stuff that I was getting told five years before them.

"In the end it was all pretty similar and pretty much the same stuff."

Siddle played 11 matches for Notts this season before returning home to Australia to prepare for a busy schedule ahead, which includes another Ashes battle against Broad next year.