Followers of Sheffield Shield cricket in Australia will be surprised at the inclusion of Stephen O’Keefe in Australia’s Test squad to face Pakistan.
Not because his talent and performances don’t warrant it, but because the fact he hadn’t been picked before suggested he may have been out of favour with the selectors.
It begs the question as to whether Cricket Australia and the selectors feel he’s a solid option and hope for the future, or a Hail Mary attempt to save face on the turning Arabian pitches. Yet, when you dig a little deeper, his inclusion may just be what’s needed for an Aussie Test side.
Nearly 30, O’Keefe has previously represented Australia in the shortest form of the game, with only moderate success in seven Twenty20 appearances in 2010-11. It seemed at the time he was being groomed for the longer format of the game, but just like Peter Forrest, the spot never eventuated.
Despite solid form for NSW, O’Keefe was left on the shelf as the likes of Xavier Doherty, Michael Beer, Ashton Agar and Nathan Lyon were all picked ahead of him. In the case of the latter three, with minimal experience by comparison. Yet here he is.
For the tour of the UAE, the Australian selectors appear likely to leave O’Keefe on the bench, and have Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith support Lyon, but O’Keefe must play in the UAE, and here’s why.
He’s a left arm orthodox. I know it seems like a strange thing to hone in on, but just like mixing right and left arm paceman, it’s important to pick the style of spinner. The Pakistani side is littered with right hand batsman, and O’Keefe will have the ball turning away from them.
Rangana Herath has only just finished obliterating the Pakistani batsman in Sri Lanka, and for that very reason. If he plays, O’Keefe will thrive against the righties and could very well end up topping the wicket tally for the Aussies in dry, spinning conditions.
His temperament will be a great addition to a young and fiery Australian side. While his experience is mainly at a domestic level, O’Keefe has captained NSW at times and has a solid cricketer’s mind. He has the ability to sum up the situation and play a style of cricket that suits.
Most sides travelling to the UAE pick two specialist spinners, and Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman have been the leading spin twins in international cricket for some time. The O’Keefe-Lyon combination have played together at state level, and their ability to bowl in partnership will go a long way to securing an Aussie win abroad.
O’Keefe can bat too. That may seem like less of an issue, given the quality of batting our tail has produced of late. However, given the fact that Australia will be short one quality batsman, they can only afford a short tail. That being said, it’s not so much O’Keefe’s run scoring ability that warrants inclusion, but his ability to occupy the crease.
He looks to play more like an established batsman than some of our other swash-buckling all-rounders. This will be an important attribute, as our batting line-up is aggressive and does not have as much experience in the trying conditions the UAE will provide.
O’Keefe was the top wicket taker of Shield Cricket last season, in a tournament dominated by quick bowlers. The only other slow bowler in the top 10 for wicket scalps this summer was Johan Botha and his slightly suspect balls. Form breeds confidence, and O’Keefe’s cool head, solid talent, and a need to impress to salvage his international career means he will be an important pick in the Australian final XI.
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