Aussies defend England call

ENGLAND'S divisive preparations for next week's day/night Ashes Test have received support from an unexpected source - former Australia seamer Peter Siddle (pictured).

- By RORY DOLLARD

The tourists have passed up the opportunity to send any of their first-choice Test team to face a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra, spurning a chance to get accustomed to the floodlit cricket and the pink Kookaburra ball.

And while that decision has attracted plenty of criticism, the man who will be fronting up the attack for the Prime Minister's XI can see the logic.