ANOTHER SETBACK

Steve O'Keefe ruled out of Matador Cup with finger injury

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

"Sokkie will come back, he'll keep working on his fitness and be in and around our group as an experienced player." © Cricbuzz

Steve O'Keefe, the Australian left-arm spinner, finds himself out of the reckoning for New South Wales for four weeks, which would include the Matador Cup, after picking up a finger injury in a Sydney grade match while playing for Manly-Warringah.

"It's hugely disappointing for him," Trent Johnston, the NSW coach, said on Thursday (October 6). "He had overcome the injury that ruled him out of the Sri Lanka tour and was back to full fitness and enjoying his cricket.

"Sokkie will come back, he'll keep working on his fitness and be in and around our group as an experienced player."

It has been a frustrating few months for the spinner, who was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series in July with an injury to his right hamstring, and had to leave the tour mid-way, partaking in just one Test of the three-match series. On return to Australia, he was fined $10,000 by Cricket Australia after a late-night incident at a Sydney hotel, after which he vowed to stay off alcohol to give him the best possible chance to represent Australia.

Ben Rohrer, the left-handed batsman, has been named as O'Keefe's replacement having missed out on selection initially.

"Rohrs had a slow start to pre-season with a couple of injuries," Johnston said. "He never got a chance to bat in the middle and missed out on our Maroochydore pre-season camp. It was a difficult decision to leave him out, especially with his experience.

"He came back, though, as the true professional that he is, and got a double-century in a 50-over Premier Cricket game and a 90 in an intra-squad trial so he just proved to us that he hasn't gone anywhere," he added.

NSW's one-day cup campaign begins against Cricket Australia XI at Hurstville Oval on Friday (October 7).

© Cricbuzz

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