Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

The Australian pace bowler Peter Siddle will be out of international cricket for up to five months with a back injury.

Siddle says a strenuous workload isn't responsible for the back injury, which has got to the point where it's simply too painful to bowl.

He plans to rest for a month and undergo three months of rehabilitation before bowling again.

Siddle says could expect injuries at any time, regardless of how much cricket they were required to play.

The injury means he'll miss the the upcoming tour of New Zealand and the Twenty20 world championship in the West Indies.