Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle has denied that his five-month lay-off with a serious back injury is because of the heavy workload he has carried this season.
Siddle was last week ruled out of this month's tour of New Zealand and the World Twenty20 in the West Indies in April/May with a stress fracture in his back. He is also likely to miss the tour of England where Australia will play two Tests against Pakistan.
The Victorian is the latest in a long line of Australian pacemen sidelined with a long-term injury. Brett Lee (elbow), Stuart Clark (back) and Ben Hilfenhaus (knee tendonitis) are also out indefinitely, while fringe player Brett Geeves has a similar injury to Siddle.
"It's definitely not the workload," Siddle said on Tuesday. "For me personally I hadn't played much cricket coming in to the last two years so for me it was more cricket than I'd ever played before but the schedule is no different than it has been over the last five or six years. That's definitely not a part of it."
"I hadn't played a lot of cricket for Victoria and I got the call-up and it's been busy but in that time I have had a lot of rest."
"I came back from South Africa and missed the one-dayers there and missed the one-dayers in Dubai to rest up. I came back from India early as well to rest up in that time so I've had plenty of time to rest up and if it's going to happen it's going to happen."
Siddle, who suffered a similar injury as a teenager, is targeting a mid-year return before hoping for a recall to the Australian side in time for the Ashes series at home next summer.
"I had stress fractures when I was about 18 or 19 and at the time obviously it was difficult but the recovery went well and in the end I was back and playing that following year," Siddle said.
"It didn't hold me back at all and in the end it got a lot stronger, a lot fitter and worked out the best for me."
Siddle faces three months of rest and rehabilitation before being able to bowl again.
"It is disappointing," the 25-year-old said. "Any injury, no matter what it is whether it's a week or two weeks or a couple of months, it's always frustrating not to go out there and play for your country."
"At the same time it will obviously give me a bit of time to rest, catch up with friends and family and just do some normal things … but get the body right, a lot stronger, fitter and hopefully a new and improved body when I come back."
Siddle has played 17 Tests since his debut against India in Mohali in 2008 and has taken 60 wickets at an average of 31.53.