Peter Sidddle out of New Zealand tour due to stress fracture

Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle has been ruled out for the rest of the cricket season after his specialist confirmed that he has a stress fracture of the lower back.

Cricket Australia have released a statement saying that Siddle will be unavailable for the rest of the domestic season, plus the Test matches in New Zealand next month.

Siddle suffered the stress fracture against Pakistan, which will require a long period of rest, The Herald Sun reports.

"Peter experienced back pain during the Commonwealth Bank Series. The source of the pain was investigated after the fifth ODI and unfortunately scans revealed that he has a lower back stress fracture," Australian physio Alex Kountouris said.

 "The nature of this injury means that Peter will require a long rehabilitation period and as such he'll be unavailable for the remainder of the domestic summer and the tour of New Zealand," he said.

Siddle met with a doctor and physiotherapist today.

He missed the third game of the Pakistan series, but returned from his back injury for the fourth match of the series in Perth.