Positive spin: Steve O’Keefe hasn’t given up on Test recall despite selection setbacks
VETERAN slow bowler Steve O’Keefe admits he may have been his own worst enemy at selection table but still believes he can play more Test cricket.
Cricket
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STEVE O’Keefe accepts that his bad decisions may have cost him a Test career.
They are moments in his life that he wishes he could change, but can’t.
O’Keefe is resigned to being left out of Australia’s touring party to face Pakistan in the UAE in October and at 33 years of age says that, while he by no means has given up, he has come to peace with the idea that he may not wear the baggy green again.
But as far as sliding doors moments go, O’Keefe considers himself lucky.
On Sunday night he will join several of his teammates and other sporting stars in sleeping out on the Sydney Cricket Ground to raise awareness for the Chappell Foundation’s crusade against youth homelessness.
O’Keefe’s indiscretions with alcohol have been well publicised, but he’s had a workplace that’s stuck by him and people who have wanted to see him shape his life for the better.
Many of the 44,000 homeless kids under the age of 24 in Australia have also made bad decisions, yet the consequences are dire.
“There’s a stigma that’s attached to homelessness. You think these people have got themselves into this position,” said O’Keefe.
“Maybe they’ve broken up with a partner, come from a harder family life and for them it’s their only option. They’ve just had seriously bad luck and there are things they can’t change and that’s the position they find themselves in.
“Living on the street, it’s cold, it’s loud, it’s unpredictable. You’re living in unsafe conditions and you think about how lucky you are to be able to run back home on a cold night and jump into bed.”
You can donate to the Chappell Foundation Sports Stars Sleepout at thechappellfoundation.com
O’Keefe refuses to believe that his Test career will be stopped at nine matches.
He looks at Sri Lankan wonder spinner Rangana Herath, who is still taking Test wickets at 40, and maintains hopes he can push hard for a return well into his 30s.
But if his time in the baggy green was finished, with that 12-70 against India last year the highlight, how would O’Keefe feel about it?
Despite being handed a Test out of the blue late last year against Bangladesh, O’Keefe accepts he may have helped selectors make calls on him at times due to his off-field record.
“I certainly don’t underestimate that I haven’t helped myself out in certain situations,” he said.
“What teams want is a professional on and off the field and I’ve certainly let myself down in that regard.
“Even though it may not be said to you directly, you’ve got to understand what Australian cricket needs and the public needs is a well-rounded person on and off the field. Have I let myself slip there? Has it cost me? Probably. That’s me being honest in my appraisal of myself.”
Cricket-wise, though, O’Keefe knows if was all over tomorrow he could be satisfied he’s left nothing in the tank.
“It’s something I’ve thought about and I genuinely believe I am someone who has got the most out of their own ability,” he said.
“I never thought I’d be a No.1 choice spinner for NSW. It’s something I worked really hard at. It’s easy to think you’ve missed out or come up short but I honestly think I’ve probably made the most of what I’ve got.
“It’s not 100 Tests, but you know what (if that was it), I’d look at that with only positive thoughts.
“I really believe spinning you get better as you mentally get older and … in the back of my mind I really don’t see any reason why I couldn’t be picked to do a job on some of the subcontinental tours coming up in the next couple of years.
“I’ll still be aiming at (more Tests) but when everything settles down at the end of it, you realise how fortunate you are to even be able to do this as a job. I feel extremely privileged and lucky. There will be no regrets on the cricket field.”
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