Peter Siddle fires back at Michael Bevan

PETER Siddle has picked a fight with Michael Bevan after the Aussie cricket legend’s “low” act following a recent loss to India.

Michael Bevan has given Australia an offer they can’t refuse.

ONE simple stat proves Australia needs a serious hand overseas.

The Aussies are in a pickle at 0-2 to kick off their ODI series against India, making it seven losses from seven games in overseas one-dayers this calendar year.

They lost two matches in New Zealand and damning Champions Trophy defeats to New Zealand, Bangladesh and England in England preceded this series. Those poor results come off the back of a humiliating 0-5 thumping at the hands of the Proteas in South Africa last year.

India ran through Australia in the second match of the current series as young spinner Kuldeep Yadav snagged the third international hat-trick by an Indian player. The Aussies lost by 50 runs and now have a massive mountain to climb as they head into the third ODI in Indore.

Skipper Steve Smith was fuming at his team’s effort in Kolkata on Thursday night (AEST), saying the constant batting collapses on subcontinental wickets “need to stop”.

The boys in yellow obviously need a leg-up — and their potential saviour could be just around the corner.

Former ODI gun Michael Bevan, a master of late-game wizardry, has announced he’d like to help steer Australia out of its batting dumps.

@CricketAus would love to be considered for the role of ODI batting coach -where do I apply?

— michael bevan (@mbevan12) September 22, 2017

Bevan is relatively fresh to the coaching world, having spent just one season coaching the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL in 2011.

The 47-year-old’s one-day average of 53.58 from 232 matches sits atop Australia’s record books and fourth on the format’s all-time list.

Former Aussie skipper Michael Clarke immediately backed Bevan’s offer to Australia.

Exactly what this team needs buddy 👌👍🏏 https://t.co/TfOFla8GuG

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) September 22, 2017

But fast bowler Peter Siddle wasn’t impressed with Bevan’s tweet, slamming the 47-year-old for piping up.

“He’s had 15 years to apply for a job with Cricket Australia and help out around the country and he hasn’t,” Siddle said on Fox Sports’ Gameday Live on Sunday morning.

“Obviously they want to see us doing well but just to come out and say something like that — the boys want support, not those blokes that haven’t been around and haven’t been helping out at either state cricket or international cricket just to throw out a tweet.

“It’s a little bit low.

“I’d love to see him apply for a job with Victoria or NSW, start doing some work, not just throwing out a tweet when we’re going bad and when we’re going well we don’t hear from him. It’s a little bit disappointing.

“To have him around would be outstanding but to just throw it out there after a bad loss is a bit disappointing. There are better ways to go about it.”

Could short-format master Michael Bevan have the answer for the Aussies?

‘IT’D BE PRETTY CRAZY’

Pat Cummins is confident skipping the Twenty20 series against India will prime him for what shapes as the biggest summer of cricket of his career. The 24-year-old has emerged as a key weapon in Australia’s quest to win back the Ashes.

Cummins will return to Australia at the end of the five-match one-day international series in India, skipping three 20-over contests. Two Tests in Bangladesh and two ODIs in India have tested the 24-year-old in stifling heat.

That’s on top of playing IPL and a further 10 one-dayers for Australia in 2017. But he’s passed with flying colours, showing no signs of the injuries which had put six years between his first and second Tests.

“Every game my body feels like it recovers really well,” Cummins said. “I feel like I’m in a really good place at the moment.

“It’s been a really tough tour in terms of the heat over here (India) and Bangladesh.

“It’s been some of the most stressful in terms of managing your overs while you’re out there but, in terms of my actual body, it feels great.” With fellow spearheads Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc back in Australia recovering from injury, Australia will be desperate to keep Cummins fit. All three are aiming to play in Sheffield Shield matches leading up to the first Test against England from November 23 in Brisbane.

Cummins, after a stunning Test debut as an 18-year-old in South Africa, is daring to dream of his first five-day match on home soil.

“I haven’t really even been close to playing a Test in Australia,” Cummins said. “Knowing in a couple of months I could be playing at the Gabba in an Ashes Test, it’d be pretty crazy. “

— with AAP