Ricky Ponting: Siddle was always the first one to be picked in my team

Australian pacer Peter Siddle retired from international cricket today, with many former Aussie players applauding his career. Legendary batsman Ricky Ponting paid rich praises on the fast bowler, stating that Siddle was always the first player to be picked in his Test team.

“Great player, great bloke, great mate, great @NMFCOfficial fan, always first player picked in my team. Congrats @petersiddle403,” tweeted Ponting, one of the best captains of the generation.

Great player, great bloke, great mate, great @NMFCOfficial fan, always first player picked in my team. Congrats @petersiddle403 pic.twitter.com/K67Juesloo

— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) December 29, 2019

Australia head coach Justin Langer and current captain Tim Paine too acknowledged the brilliant international career, and raved about Siddle’s passion for the team.

“The year after I retired from playing, Matty Hayden and Ricky Ponting were raving about this guy called Peter Siddle,” Langer said. “If it came from them, you knew it was right and so it proved throughout his brilliant international career.

“He is everything of what a team player is. He has given his heart and soul to the Australian team and the game of cricket … He’s going out when he’s still playing well which, in a perfect world, is something every athlete wants to do.”

Paine, on the other hand, spoke about Siddle’s “massive heart”, and described him as the “heart and the soul” of the Australian team.

Mike Hussey, another legendary middle order batsman, praised Siddle’s attitude and how he transformed himself to be the best in the world. Speaking to Fox Cricket, Husssey said, “Something I really admire about Peter Siddle’s career, when he first came into the team he was a real larrikin and maybe wasn’t as professional as he could’ve been.”

“He maybe was a little bit loose at times and celebrated too hard, but then midway through his career, he just changed his ways and became super professional. He was right on top of all his preparation, changed his diet, he stopped drinking alcohol and became really professional. I really admire him for that.”

Siddle retired after the second Test between Australia and New Zealand after 89 international games that fetched him 241 wickets.