Stephen O’Keefe dumped for Bangladesh tour, Agar to step up

STEPHEN O’Keefe’s career-ending axing from the Australian Test side has been slammed as “unfair” and “unjust” by Cricket NSW boss Andrew Jones

Australia's Steve O'Keefe during the India tour.

STEPHEN O’Keefe’s career-ending axing from the Australian Test side has been slammed as “unfair” and “unjust” by Cricket NSW boss Andrew Jones who says it would be wrong if the spinner was still paying the price for a drunken night out in April.

Selectors have explained O’Keefe’s dumping for Ashton Agar for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh as a purely cricket decision as they look to the future and insist this is not punishment.

However, eyebrows have been raised given the left-armer produced one of the great performances ever by an Australian bowler in India, taking 19 wickets at an average of 23, including a first Test 12-wicket haul.

Australia's Steve O'Keefe during the India tour.

In contrast to O’Keefe’s first-class average of over 200 wickets at 23, West Australian Agar averages 40.

Selectors pushed hard for O’Keefe to tour India despite his injury worries, but it’s understood they now want to blood a younger man and like Agar’s all-round abilities.

Cricket NSW came down hard on O’Keefe for his behaviour at their awards night in April – where he was accused of highly inappropriate behaviour towards a NSW female cricketer – fining him $20,000 and standing him down from the Matador one-day cup.

Jones says O’Keefe’s behaviour was not a “career-ending” offence and that the punishment handed down by Cricket NSW was one Cricket Australia agreed.

O’Keefe, who also missed out to Agar for a Cricket Australia contract, has been left shattered by his international career effectively being brought to a screaming halt aged 32.

Selectors made no mention of O’Keefe’s high-profile indiscretion in announcing his dumping, but whatever the catalyst, Jones says the spinner has every right to feel dudded.

“It’s unfair to be honest. I think it’s just unjust,” Jones told The Daily Telegraph.

O’Keefe won’t feature in Bangladesh.

“I think SOK should be in the side. He was the leading wicket-taker in India and had the best figures by any spinner visiting India ever.

“Clearly he’s the best left-arm spinner in Australia. I think the facts speak for themselves. Agar will be a good cricketer… but this is not a good cricket decision.”

Jones said he’d be disappointed if behaviour issues played a part.

“If we thought it was a career-ending offence we would have torn up his contract. And we didn’t. We levied a punishment which we thought appropriate and proportionate. Obviously Cricket Australia agreed with that,” he said.

“… The behaviour issue was an issue but it’s been dealt with. There’s no double jeopardy.

“The feedback is it’s a cricket decision. That needs to be judged on that basis and I just think the numbers tell the story.

“If I were him I wouldn’t be happy.”