Underwhelming. That was my initial reaction when I read my Twitter feed and saw the announcement I had been eagerly anticipating; the unveiling of Essex's overseas player for the first five County Championship matches of 2018.
Without thinking about the bigger picture or reasons as to why it may actually be a shrewd signing, I must confess to being just a little nonplussed. Why was this my overriding emotion ? Let me first of all say that Peter Siddle has been a very fine seam bowler over the years, he has produced when his country has needed him, to play 62 Test matches for Australia and take in excess of 200 Test wickets (456 first-class wickets and counting) at an average of under 30 speaks volumes for the quality Siddle has possessed over the years.
However.....he is now 33 years old and a catalogue of back problems over the years has inevitably seen his bowling lose some of the spite that made him a more effective tool. In this season's Sheffield Shield, Siddle has taken five wickets at 75.20 in the four game he's played, albeit at a reasonable economy rate. Now the pitches, as we saw in the Ashes, can be somewhat flat, but I'm sure Siddle has been wicketless too frequently with the new ball for Victoria's liking.
It is only a short stay for Siddle but the games do come thick and fast, can his body stand up to the regular cycle of fixtures he will be expected to fulfil while he's here ? The five Championship games he's been signed for all start on successive Friday's and depending on his workload he may need a break at some point.
I also thought, and this really isn't Siddle's fault, that Essex would opt for another left-arm paceman like last season, the twin overseas signings of Mohammad Amir and Neil Wagner worked exceptionally well in terms of creating rough for the spin threat of Simon Harmer. Of course they brought much more to the club than creating favourable conditions for Harmer but it was a welcome benefit to their actions and a successful ploy for Essex.
So they were all my initial doubts. Then as I read through supporters tweets, there were plenty of people clearly delighted with the announcement so I began to think of all the positive things he would bring to the club.
The main benefit in my opinion is his experience and the assistance he can offer the young quicks at Essex. Jamie Porter, who is not an entirely dissimilar bowler to Siddle, save for the extra pace Siddle used to bowl with in years gone by, must be rubbing his hands at the thought of picking the big Victorian's bowling brain. Not just Porter, but Sam Cook, Paul Walter, Aaron Beard, and the academy lads will be queuing up for hints and tips, both technical, tactical and mental.
So it's important he is the right kind of character in order to impart his wisdom willingly and Siddle comes with big wraps from the likes of Darren Lehmann, who Head Coach Anthony McGrath quizzed for the low down using the useful Yorkshire connection.
As well as his wealth of experience in Test cricket, Siddle has experience of English conditions, featuring in Ashes series over here and also playing a season with Notts back in 2014 where he took 37 wickets at 31.48 in the first division of the Championship. He did sign a two-year deal with Notts for 2016 and 2017 but had to pull out of both seasons due to injury.
Despite not having much success with Victoria so far this season he has been economical and you expect him to be miserly for Essex with the additional wicket-taking threat that comes with playing on the greener tracks here in April and May. When he is fit he will run in all day if allowed, never one to shirk the hard yards I expect Siddle will be an exemplary role model, not just for the young quicks but all the players at the club.
It may be that Siddle makes a bigger impact off the field in terms of helping develop the young bowlers, showing them and explaining what it takes to reach the very top and the essential hard work that needs to be put in. For all the positives that Amir and Wagner brought, their ultimate focus was succeeding for their countries, and some may say so it should be, but Siddle will have no other focus other than what his new employers want from him in the short time he will be there. It's unlikely at this stage of his career that he will win a recall to the national side, though stranger things have happened.
So what is my reaction now to the overseas announcement ? I expect Siddle to be reliable on the pitch, consistent and hard working. He's a competitor, a winner, but I think Essex will potentially reap long-term gains from this short-term contract due to his influence and help in developing the local lads. He's a solid choice and I expect his performances to be consistent if not explosive and match winning but should Porter win us a game or any of the lesser experienced bowlers you can guarantee Siddle will have played some part in it.
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