By Malcolm Conn
Sydney Sixers spin king Steve O’Keefe will walk onto fortress SCG for his 100th Big Bash game in this Thursday night’s Challenger final against the Brisbane Heat with a contentment that has eluded him for much of a 17-year professional career.
This time last year, the 38-year-old spinner was done with cricket. On Monday, O’Keefe told the Herald and The Age he is on the verge of signing up again for next season regardless of whether he wins a fourth BBL title with the Sixers.
Steve O’Keefe will play his 100th match for the Sixers on Thursday.Credit: Getty Images
To do that, the Sixers - who are without Steve Smith - must beat the Heat, who have lost Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Matt Renshaw to Australia’s tour of India, then overturn last weekend’s loss to the Scorchers in Perth, who have already qualified for the final. NSW’s one-day wizard Dan Hughes will step in for Smith.
“Cricket was central to my existence and identity as a person, and it was what every day revolved around, really, whereas now it’s probably taken a back step,” said O’Keefe, who took some time to get over his axing by NSW in 2020 after claiming 301 first class wickets at under 25 apiece.
“I’ve got other things to enjoy. I’ve been with my girlfriend, Lexie, for several years. She’s been really positive in shaping my views of the world outside of sport. When you open your eyes a little bit and have a look, there is a lot more to life than cricket, believe it or not, and she’s been pivotal in that support.
“Now I think I’ve just got cricket in the right space, in the right balance in my life. It’s not everything, but I’m still connected to the game. I still enjoy the contest, but I don’t live and breathe it.
Steve O’Keefe is aiming for his fourth title with the Sixers.Credit: AAP
“And that takes a bit of time. A lot of athletes that I speak to at the end of their careers say the same thing. It just takes a bit of time to decompress and I’m probably at that happy mix at the moment. I just need to get a little bit fitter.
“I need to put more attention into it to become a more reliable player on the field. And that’ll be a focus this year. In other years it might have been a bit more mental health and other stuff, whereas this year, it’s probably the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Long-serving Sixers coach Greg Shipperd is delighted that O’Keefe will play another season given his performances on the field and demeanour off it.
“We’re really pleased he’s of a mindset to keep playing because that wasn’t the case at this time last year,” Shipperd said. “There’s been a shift in how relaxed he is in what he’s doing. He’s feeling really comfortable about his role and how his body’s going.”
With a career plagued by calf and hamstring injuries, O’Keefe has turned out for the Sixers in eight of their 15 games this season, taking 12 wickets with the best average (14) and economy rate (6) of any bowler in the team.
O’Keefe is comfortable that he may be the second spinner next season to young Victorian sensation Todd Murphy, 22, who has been fast-tracked into Australia’s Test squad for India.
“Todd Murphy has gone from strength to strength,” O’Keefe said.
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