Peter Siddle

About Peter

After just twelve first-class matches and touring India with Australia A, Siddle was named in the national 15-man squad for the four-Test tour of India on 12 September 2008, as back up to established bowlers Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson. When Clark injured his elbow prior to the Second Test, Siddle was selected in the match squad. He made his Test debut at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on 16 October 2008. He picked up 3/114 in the first innings, finishing with match figures of four for 176.

Siddle lost his position when Clark recovered, only to regain it when the elbow injury re occurred prior to the First Test against South Africa at the WACA, 2008. He broke through with three wickets in front of his home crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa on his way to figures of four for 81 in the first innings. Siddle backed this performance up in the next Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, taking five for 59 in South Africa’s first innings. His efforts were not enough, however, to prevent Australia from succumbing to a historic home series defeat.

Siddle also gave a fine account of himself on the South African leg of the rubber, in which the Australians triumphed 2–1. Going into the 2009 Ashes series, he had notched up 29 Test wickets at an average of 27.65. That it had come in six Tests against the South Africans and one in India, and with an economy rate of only 2.57 an over, made his record still more impressive. In the first Test of the 2009 Ashes Series, Siddle took 2/97 in the first day’s play. In the fourth Test of the 2009 Ashes Series, Siddle took 5/21 in the first day as his career best.

On 25 November 2010, Siddle’s 26th birthday, he took a Test hat-trick amongst his six wickets in the first Test of the 2010–11 Ashes series, taking six for just 54 runs, his best ever in test match cricket as he bowled 16 overs in total. On 29 December 2010, Siddle scored 40 in the 2nd innings of the 4th Ashes Test at the MCG, his highest score in first class cricket. Following the end of the 4th Test, Siddle was ranked 9th in the ICC Test Player Rankings.

Siddle took his 100th Test wicket at the SCG on 3 January 2012 in the second Test of Australia’s home series against India. During the same series he rose to a career-high seventh in the ICC’s Test bowler rankings. He was named the man of the match in the fourth and final Test of the series, having taken 5/49 in the first innings. He took 23 wickets in the series at an average of 18.65.

On 24 March 2013, Peter Siddle became the first number 9 batsman to score a half century in both innings of a Test match. On 13 February 2016, Siddle became the 100th Australian player to reach 1,000 Test runs.

Peter is also a passionate animal rights activist

He became a vegetarian in 2002, influenced by his girlfriend – a lifelong vegetarian. He became a vegan in 2013, shortly before Australia’s Ashes tour in England. He was the only player to play in every game, which newspapers at the time attributed to the extra energy gained from a vegan diet.

He has noticed improved recovery times and energy levels on a plant-based diet, and less likelihood of being injured with the gruelling schedule of matches and training. But, he also cites ethical reasons for choosing a vegan diet:

“Animal cruelty played a huge part in my decision to go plant based. After learning a lot more about the processes of factory farming, battery hens, abattoirs etc, I realised that the meat industry was something I wanted nothing to do with. The mental conflict I felt when consuming meat and the thought that an animal had lost its life just for my appetite deeply upset me. Before I learnt what went on behind the doors of the meat industry, I was unable to make the connection with the beautiful animal that once was and what now sat in front of me on my plate. One year later the same thing happened as I learnt about the dairy industry, which I now think is probably the worst of them all. The intolerable cruelty, which is predominantly hidden from the public is disgusting.”

He’s also alcohol free which combined with his veganism is not typical of the macho Australian cricket tradition, but seems to be working well for him.

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