No sledge pledge from Cricket Australia: Siddle

London, July 15 (ANI): Cricket Australia had asked its players before start of the Ashes series not to indulge in sledging, but fast bowler Peter Siddle denied receiving any message from the board.

Australian players, who are famous for their verbal taunts as their on-field brillance, had received letters banning them from sledging.

But any lingering doubt was set aside by fast bowler Siddle here at Lord's on Tuesday when he said with a grin: "If it was sent, I don't think we've received it yet."

Siddle is fast becoming the Australia quick opposition crowds love to hate and he relishes his role as the villain.

The 24-year-old Victorian may have only taken three wickets during the drawn first Test in Cardiff last week, but performed with commendable hostility on a soul-destroying surface for fast bowlers.

As he charged in on Sunday night, desperately trying to close out what would have been an epic win for Australia, Siddle's main target was Graeme Swann, who bore several short balls on his body, The Telegraph reports. Swann was pretty confident in the first innings and we probably didn't test him out as much as we would have liked," Siddle said.

"In the second innings, we found that [the short ball] was a bit of a weakness, but he toughed it out and he stuck around for a while. We might pitch another one up to him, but he might have to wait a while," he added. (ANI)