This week, English commentator Tim De Lisle, claimed Peter Siddle is not up to test standard. Well I must say that got my dander up, being a stong Victorian supporter, let alone Aussie. But lets be reasonable and try and respond with out becoming too emotional.

So my first step was to compare Siddle to all Englands current fast bowling offerings. On all counts – career strike rate, economy rate, bowling average – our Pete is a better performer than England’s Anderson, Harmison, Flintoff, Onions, and Broad. The only one who does compare is Sidebottom. But England chooses not to play him, because possibly he is of Test standard.

Next we can point to Siddles major role in demolishing Sth Africa in Sth Africa this year. This was a performance against a better team than England.

What does De Lisle’s comment have to say about his own batsmen, who at his time of writing, had surrendered their wicket to Siddle on 16 occasions – and overnight this has become 20. Siddle is now the leading wicket taker in this Ashes series.  I presume his response to this is that they are not wickets against batsmen of test standard. Fair enough.

Maybe this just reflects the Pommie mentality. That is, we are not capable of playing Test cricket – we cannot cope with the rigours of it – and any of opposition players who demolish us  are therefore not neccessarily of  Test Standard because they are not playing a Test standard team.

Tags: peter Siddle, Tim De Lisle