Notts bring in Peter Siddle for Blast campaign

Nottinghamshire have signed veteran Australian seamer Peter Siddle as one of their overseas players for the Vitality T20 Blast. Siddle, 41, who plays under Notts head coach, Peter Moores, with Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, is expected to be available for the full season.

Siddle retired from first-class cricket following the 2024-25 Australian summer, having represented his country 89 times between 2008 and 2019, but has continued to enjoy success in the BBL, playing every game in the recently completed season and taking 17 wickets as Stars reached the knockout stage.

He will returning to Trent Bridge for the first time since a spell playing County Championship cricket in 2014, when he took 37 wickets at 31.48.

"I'm so excited and really looking forward to be heading back to Trent Bridge, and this time for the Vitality Blast," Siddle said. "I've enjoyed my experiences in the Blast before, and coming off the Big Bash, where I felt great and made some good contributions, I can't wait to get over to England again.

"It's been great to work with Peter Moores at the Stars over the last couple of seasons, so I'm excited to continue that link-up. Playing in front of the Notts members and supporters was also something I really enjoyed last time, so I'm excited to see them again and hopefully contribute to some success."

Siddle has extensive experience in county cricket, having represented Durham, Essex, Lancashire and Somerset, as well as Notts, although most of that has been in red-ball. He played in the Blast for Essex in 2018, and then again for Somerset in 2022 - when he claimed 17 wickets at 17.88 - and 2023.

Notts, who finished fifth in the North Group last season, have already recruited South Africa spinner George Linde for the Blast, as well as bringing in allrounder Benny Howell from Hampshire on a T20 contract.

Moores said: "I'm really excited that Pete has agreed to come back to Notts and rekindle his association with the club.

Over the years he's managed to simplify the game, and his wealth of experience will be really valuable for our bowling group. His whole approach to playing and training has allowed him to extend his career, and he's now bowling as well as he ever has.

"Having watched him over the last two years at Melbourne Stars, I'm sure our members and supporters are going to love his wholehearted approach to playing the game."

Lancashire, meanwhile, have appointed former England fast bowler Kabir Ali as their new men's lead bowling coach.

Kabir, who spent two seasons at Lancashire as a player before retiring in 2014, has had an extensive career coaching in England and franchise leagues around the world. He joins from Warwickshire, having spent 2025 as women's bowling lead at Edgbaston.

"I'm incredibly excited to be back at Lancashire in this new role," he said. "This is a club with proud history and traditions, and I'm looking forward to working with the whole professional squad. It's a great challenge to help shape our bowling group, and equally important to support the development of the next generation of fast bowlers coming through our pathway.

"I would like to thank Mark Chilton for the opportunity, and I am looking forward to working alongside Steven Croft, his coaching staff and a very talented group of players here at Emirates Old Trafford."