Updated December 12, 2012 10:10:40
Pace spearhead Peter Siddle has no regrets about the decision which ruled him out of the series-deciding Test against South Africa in Perth.
Siddle withdrew with hamstring tightness after an exhausting 63.5-over performance in the drawn Adelaide Test that finished just three full days before the start of the WACA match.
He says the decision was his and he was comfortable with it.
"You never want to miss a Test match but you've got to think of the greater picture and that was becoming the number one Test team," Siddle told reporters at Bellerive on Wednesday.
"If I had have gone out there and got injured, it would have been selfish."
Australia's revamped pace attack was blunted by the Proteas, whose batsmen clubbed 569 in the second innings at the WACA to set up a 1-0 series win.
The 28-year-old Siddle is a certainty to return to the attack for the first Test against Sri Lanka beginning in Hobart on Friday.
But Australia will choose between Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and local product Ben Hilfenhaus for two other pace-bowling positions.
Siddle said all four deserved consideration.
"We wouldn't be here if we didn't deserve a spot," he said.
"I think we all deserve a chance and it just depends on the best make-up of the side on the day."
He said Australia was aiming for a repeat of the crushing 4-0 defeat of India last season.
"We've lost the series against South Africa but we'll be coming out strong," he said.
"We want to repeat what we did to India last summer."
AAP
Tags: cricket,
sport,
hobart-7000,
tas,
australia,
sri-lanka First posted December 12, 2012 10:10:40
View the original article here
