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Geeves called as Siddle's standby

Australia remain confident that Peter Siddle will be fit for the third Test despite the selectors calling for the Tasmania fast bowler Brett Geeves as a backup

Brett Geeves is an appealing choice as a replacement player  •  Getty Images

Brett Geeves is an appealing choice as a replacement player  •  Getty Images

Australia remain confident that Peter Siddle will be fit for the third Test despite the selectors calling for the Tasmania fast bowler Brett Geeves as a backup. Siddle bowled at full speed in the WACA nets on Monday and did not show any signs of the hamstring strain that troubled him in Adelaide, but much will depend on how he recovers after training.
Following his bowling session, Siddle walked laps of the WACA with the team physio Alex Kountouris, who has spent much of the week working with Siddle in an effort to ensure he is fit for the Test starting on Wednesday. The wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said while Siddle was not yet a certain starter, the signs were positive.
"There's still a little bit of doubt around Peter," Haddin said. "He bowled today, by all accounts he's pulled up pretty well but with all these sort of injuries it's not so much the first day, it's how you pull up the next day. So he will have to be reassessed tomorrow but by all reports he pulled up pretty well after his spell today."
If Siddle does not prove his fitness before the Test, it would mean a likely debut for his Victorian team-mate Clint McKay, who was the 12th man in Adelaide and stayed with the squad for the Perth Test. The chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said that while Siddle was expected to be cleared, they were covering their bases by calling for Geeves, who was due to join the team in Perth on Monday night ahead of the series-deciding third game.
"In order to ensure there is sufficient cover, a decision has been made to have Brett Geeves available as a standby player in Perth," Hilditch said. "Brett gets his opportunity on the back of his recent strong performances in Sheffield Shield cricket and because the panel feels he will be well-suited to the conditions at the WACA should an opportunity present itself."
Geeves, a 27-year-old right armer, toured with the limited-overs team to South Africa earlier in the year, and has appeared in two ODIs and a Twenty20 international. However, his prospects seemed to suffer when he was not called up for the injury-hit visit to India in October and November.
Five wickets in Tasmania's Sheffield Shield win over Western Australia last week helped remind the selectors of his worth. In 39 first-class games he has taken 134 wickets at 34.41 and is well-known in Australian cricket circles for his lively blog. The country's fast-bowling stocks are being tested with the contract holders Ben Hilfenhaus, Brett Lee and Stuart Clark on the injured list.

Brydon Coverdale is a staff writer at Cricinfo