Australian Test veteran Peter Siddle is in line to play his first competitive match in more than eight months when Victoria face Tasmania at North Sydney Oval on Thursday.
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Siddle, 31, hasn't played since the Test tour of New Zealand in February, after ankle surgery and back issues. However the workhorse paceman has been called into the Bushrangers' squad for the rest of the Matador Cup one-day tournament, and is set to be considered for Thursday's clash.
Coach Andrew McDonald was excited about Siddle's return.
"It's really good to have someone of Peter's experience and talent available to come into the squad at this important time of the tournament," McDonald said.
"He's been travelling with the team so far this tournament and hasn't missed a beat in training.
"His progress in the nets has been impressive, and we're happy to have him fit and firing.
"From Peter's perspective, it's obviously been a lengthy recovery period and he's very keen to get back out there with his teammates and he's itching to play."
Siddle has replaced Matt Doric in the Bushrangers' squad. The experienced quick, who has played 61 Tests, is hopeful of being available for the third Test of Australia's series against South Africa.
Fellow Victorian fast bowler James Pattinson remains on the comeback trail from a back issue, with no timeframe on his return.
Australia has been beset by injuries to fast bowlers in recent months, with Mitchell Starc and Nathan Coulter-Nile also recovering from ailments.
Starc has been hopeful of playing in the first Test against the Proteas, starting on November 3 in Perth. The left-arm quick has targeted New South Wales' first Sheffield Shield match, starting on October 25, for his comeback.
Victoria enter their match against Tasmania second on the Matador Cup tables with two wins from three matches.
The Bushrangers' fast-bowling stocks have been hit hard by absentees early in the tournament, given the injuries to Pattinson, Siddle and Jake Reed, and the international duties of Scott Boland, John Hastings and Chris Tremain, who have been in South Africa as part of Australia's one-day team.
