India vs Australia | Feel Like a Young Bloke Getting His First Call-up: Siddle on ODI Recall

Cricketnext Staff | Updated: January 6, 2019, 10:17 AM IST

A chuffed Peter Siddle, who got a surprising call-up to the national One-Day International squad for the three-match series against India said that he felt like "a young bloke getting his first call-up". The 34-year-old has not played an ODI for Australia since November 2010 but now back in the scheme of things is hoping to make more of an impact in the shorter formats of the game as well.

"It's pretty amazing," Siddle 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's comeback has largely been based on his performances in the death for Adelaide Strikers. His economical spells in the backend of the innings caught everyone's attention last year at the Big Bash League. In the Australian domestic one-day competition as well, Siddle was the most economical bowler, going at just 3.95 runs per over in seven 50-over matches for Victoria during the 2017-18 season.

With statistics showing Australia leaking runs by the bucketful in the final 10 overs of the innings in ODIs over the last year or so, Siddle expects his role to be to contain runs in the latter part of the game when the batsmen are looking to go hammer and tongs.

"I think there'll be a bit of an emphasis on death bowling and trying to perfect that skill for the team," Siddle said. "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.

"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."

A veteran of 64 Tests, Siddle has just played 17 ODIs and two T20Is. He admitted having given up on the prospect of playing the shorter formats of the game for Australia but now back in the ODI scheme of things the pacer is raring to give it his all and hopes by doing that he might even get a shot at the playing the World Cup later this year.

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