Awestruck Siddle on awesome journey

Peter Siddle's mates still find it hard to believe their friend gets to have lunch with Ricky Ponting and all those other high falutin' Test stars. Peter Siddle himself still finds it hard to believe, writes Peter Lalor in the Australian.

Siddle says he is growing more comfortable with each passing Test and if his form-line continues his mates will find it hard to believe they have lunch with him. The hard-toiling quick debuted in India, impressing everybody with his ability to run in and bowl a good, honest line and impressive pace.

Back home things started to come a little undone in the first Test against South Africa in Perth. He couldn't get the breakthrough the side needed and he started to bleed runs. Siddle began to look out of his depth; worse, he began to believe he was.

Imran Tahir, the Pakistan-born legspinner, is about to qualify for South Africa and could face a challenging debut against Australia in the one-day series in April. Will Swanton spoke to Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, about him for the Sydney Morning Herald.