Siddle says injuries to young Oz quicks inevitable

Sydney: Australian Test bowler Peter Siddle has said that he believes the injuries that have sidelined his young pace colleagues have been unavoidable and said that the remaining stock is good enough too.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, with James Pattinson, 23, Mitchell Starc, 23, Pat Cummins, 20, and 26-year-old Jackson Bird all out of action with back injuries as the Ashes series nears; there is disquiet as to why the nation`s best young quicks are breaking down. Fast bowling great Dennis Lillee has suggested the pacemen of today don`t spend enough time bowling in the nets, the report said. However, Siddle, 28, who himself dealt with early career back problems, said such injuries were inevitable as young pacemen`s bodies become accustomed to the strain. Siddle said that even at local level, young quicks were often injured, but the international cricket workload compounded the issue, according to the report. He believes Australia is still well stocked with quicks for the Ashes, nominating Mitchell Johnson as favourite to back him and Ryan Harris, with Ben Hilfenhaus and Josh Hazlewood as the other options, the report mentioned.