Siddle resurrected in death-bowling role

Peter Siddle's stunning ODI recall has him feeling "like a young bloke getting his first call-up" and the veteran says he can be Australia's death-bowling specialist in their World Cup defence.

Australia were the worst-performed death bowling side in the world last year and Siddle has been charged with rectifying that trend with less than six months to go before their World Cup opener in June.

In one of the more surprising recalls in recent years, Siddle's return to Australia's one-day set-up at the age of 34, more than eight years after his last ODI, has given him a golden opportunity to play at his first ever ICC event this year.

The veteran says he'd had "a few little chats" with coach Justin Langer and bowling coach David Saker about his recent white-ball resurgence for the Strikers in the KFC BBL but was still shocked when he learnt of his recall.

"It's pretty amazing," he told cricket.com.au. "I never really thought it'd come. To get another one-day game hadn't even crossed my mind.

"I had my 34th birthday a few weeks ago and to have not played for a number of years, it's amazing to potentially get that opportunity again.

"I know I'd worked hard and tried a lot of things to develop my white-ball game, but that was pretty much on the basis of trying to perform well for Adelaide, not so much thinking the one-day chance would come.

"I'm just as amazed as a young bloke getting his first call-up, that's what it feels like. It feels like I'm starting all over again, so I'm very thankful."

Siddle praised the influence of veteran teammate Ben Laughlin for his remarkable white-ball resurgence at the Strikers, which was crucial to their championship win last season.

The Victorian was the second-best death bowler in BBL|07, his economy rate of 6.87 in the final five overs of an innings second only to his Afghan teammate Rashid Khan (5.30).

He was also the most miserly bowler in his most recent one-day tournament, the 2017-18 JLT One-Day Cup, going at just 3.95 runs per over in seven 50-over matches for Victoria.

And it's an effective death bowler that Australia are crying out for ahead of their World Cup defence.

Statistics from Opta show that Australia's economy rate of 8.0 in the final 10 overs of ODIs in 2018 was the worst of the 10 nations competing at the World Cup, with the Windies the only other team to concede more than 7.3 runs an over at the death.

"I think there'll be a bit of an emphasis on death bowling and trying to perfect that skill for the team," Siddle said of the role he expects to play in the Gillette ODI series against India, starting in Sydney on Saturday.

"The skills I've worked on over the last 12 months for the Strikers have set me up to at least have a crack at it.

"It's something I've worked on in the last couple of weeks leading into this Big Bash.

"I'm definitely up for it. If the role's there to play for this series or going forward, I feel confident I can step in and take on that role."

Having returned to Australia's Test side last year, Siddle has made no secret of his desire to be part of a fourth Ashes tour this year when the urn goes on the line again in August.

Having re-signed to play for English county side Essex in 2019, in the hope it would lead into another Ashes campaign, the Victorian suddenly has a World Cup on his mind.

"(I haven't thought about it) since the last World Cup and I probably wasn't really a chance then," he said with a laugh.

"And that was going to be my last opportunity, I would have thought.

"But now the position I'm in … the ball's in my court now to try and perform and take this opportunity that I've got.

"If that means I get a shot at a World Cup, I'd love to. I've played in most things I could have through my career, and probably the one thing I haven't played in is a World Cup."

Siddle will play for the Strikers against Sydney Sixers in Adelaide on Sunday night before he links up with Australia's ODI squad in Sydney.

ODI death bowling in 2018

(Overs 41-50)

Image Id: 0E7AFE7C93A349D081CABCCA47EC25C4

Australia's ODI death bowling in 2018

(Overs 41-50)

Image Id: C926CD2E9267413BAE060EB429B8A7D2

(Numbers courtesy of Opta)

Gillette ODI Series v India

Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami

First ODI: January 12, SCG (D/N)

Second ODI: January 15, Adelaide Oval (D/N)

Third ODI: January 18, MCG (D/N)