Cricketing Thoughts - Stephen O'Keefe

What About Sock?

Stephen Norman John O’Keefe or Sock as he is known to his mates in the NSW team is an exciting young prospect that will be a prominent figure of Australian cricket in the next few years. As Australia’s dreadful spinner woes continue with the recent surprise pick of Michael Beer, possibly to play at the Boxing Day Test, O’Keefe could be just the player needed to thread Australia back together and return it to its world beating status. When most people think of a slow bowling all-rounder from NSW, thoughts immediately turn to O’Keefe’s namesake, Steve Smith who has already played a few test matches without setting the world on fire. However, O’Keefe is just as talented with the bat and his figures with the ball appear far superior to Smith’s. This raises the question, why has Steve O’Keefe not been handed a baggy green?

The Allan Border Field in Queensland in mid-June was where the stage was set for young O’Keefe to stamp his name as a potential future spin bowling all-rounder capable of devastating spells with the ball and belligerent batting. With Australia ‘A’ in trouble at 6/92, out walked Sock at number 8, the game seemingly in the balance and added a sheen of respectability to the score line by top scoring with a mature 61. The Sri Lankans, ready to tackle, began batting with caution but were simply blown away in a sensational one man bowling show, O’Keefe the chief destroyer with 7/35. If this wasn’t enough, the side faltered again in the 2^nd innings but O’Keefe stepped up yet again and smacked 47 to provide the foundation for a crushing win over the tourists. Promptly after this performance O’Keefe jumped on a plane to join the Australian squad to play against Pakistan in England, unfortunately Steve Smith was given the nod ahead of his fellow New South Welshman and O’Keefe was left simply to be used as a net bowler and substitute fielder for the entirety of the Test series. Finally given a wonderful chance to represent his country in a Twenty20 against the Pakistanis, O’Keefe seized the opportunity and took 3/29 as well as taking two catches as the Australians narrowly lost the match.

As the months go on, O’Keefe’s bowling continues to improve as well as his skills as an all-round cricketer. The fact that he has only played 11 first class matches meant little to NSW cricket administrators as the twenty six year old was chosen as stand in captain of his state side ahead of more experienced players. The main form of criticism towards O’Keefe is that one game does not make a career. It may give the world a glimpse of what he is capable of in the future, but consistency is what should be rewarded with national selection. Many argue that O’Keefe must put in a few more dominating performances before he deserves the chance to don the baggy green. However, this is completely unjustified. Steve Smith was given a debut after a promising 7/64 in a Shield game which had the selectors licking their lips with delight over the next exciting spinner to emerge, since then, Smith has done little to justify his selection.  Xavier Doherty was promptly picked after taking a five wicket haul against the Victorians at the MCG, regardless of a first class bowling average nudging on 50. Michael Beer has been picked on the basis that he took five wickets in one game against the touring English, regardless of the fact that he has only featured at first-class level for five games. At this point, it is evident that the selectors are simply not taking experience or consistency into consideration for elevation to higher honours, more so, acting in hyper bursts of excitement over a single performance which bears little in comparison to the harsh stage of international cricket. With this in mind, the selection of Stephen O’Keefe, the next spinner in the proverbial line of Australian domestic cricket seems like the next logical option. Not only have devastating all-round performances been exhibited, but a sense of consistency is evident in O’Keefe’s game.

Over 11 first class games for his state, O’Keefe has spun out 42 victims at a phenomenal average of 23.5 with a five wicket haul and three bags of four, while at the same time averaging a healthy 46. 3 with the bat filled with 3 stroke-filled half centuries. Combining this with high class fielding and even potential captaincy and Stephen O’Keefe is effectively a four-in-one cricketer. The performances of this 26 year old suggest that there is far more to come, while at the same time show that an elevation to the top level is now long overdue. Australia is currently seeking a consistent match-winning all-rounder, with Mitchell Johnson at the pace bowling helm, O’Keefe could be the perfect supplement in the Australian outfit to catapult them back to the top of world cricket. Cricket fans all over the country are complaining of a lack of a genuine all-rounder in the Australian juggernaut, the best solution? Put a Sock in it.

Sanjeet Ajgaonkar.

Cricketing Thoughts - Michael Beer

The Curious Case of Michael Beer

Spin bowling around the world and, specifically, in Australia was changed forever when a blonde haired and sunscreen covered Shane Keith Warne stepped on to the cricketing scene back in 1992. Spinners, back then seen as a dying breed were suddenly catapulted back into the limelight and seen as a major match winning force to be reckoned with. The cricketing world was better for it and when Warne retired in 2007 after spinning out 1001 wickets around the world Australia hoped, nay prayed that another spinner would step up.

In the three years since Warne’s retirement, Australia has trialed 10 spinners at the highest level namely Xavier Doherty, Cameron White, Bryce McGain, Beau Casson and Jason Krejza.  Among the five of them, they have played 10 tests before being discarded and thrown back into the wilderness of state cricket. Nathan Hauritz has been the only slow bowler to be trialed extensively. Hauritz has played in 16 tests since his sudden recall against the Black Caps in 2008 taking 58 wickets at an average nudging 35 with 2 five wicket hauls and generally consistent offspin bowling however, even he has been thrown into the ‘used spinners’ pile.

The Australian spin cycle is quite brutal and has claimed victims at an alarming rate. The desperation for a spinner within the Australian ranks is now fairly evident with 26 year old West Australian left arm orthodox spinner Michael Beer being picked from obscurity to join the 12 man squad for a possible debut in the 3^rd Test of the Ashes at the WACA. Beer is in line to become Australia’s 418^th test cricketer as the stumped Australian selectors look for any way to blunt the run machine that is the England batting line up.

Beer, who replaces two-game-old Xavier Doherty in the squad, has been picked for his “impressive performances this year at domestic level. He took wickets against England in the tour match earlier this summer and we expect he will bowl very well against the English on his home ground”. These were the words of the chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch. This surprising selection however seemingly overlooks the fact that Beer has as much of a home ground advantage at the WACA as Shane Warne did bowling in India. Last summer, Beer was playing club cricket for St. Kilda down in Melbourne while struggling to break into the Victorian State Team and even played a few games with the master, Shane Warne a few seasons back. It seems that the only reason he has made the huge step up from club cricket to the international stage is due to a vote of confidence Warne gave him when throwing his name around in a newspaper article written last week.

The criticism of Beer’s shock selection is flowing in from all over the land, with former Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill joining the chorus of voices demanding a legitimate reason for his selection. "I am gobsmacked, shocked, I honestly cannot believe it," MacGill told Sydney's Daily Telegraph. "The team will have to change again after the next Test. Good on Michael Beer, good bloke and good player, but look at this as a job interview and show me his qualifications to get this job. He doesn't have any. He is not qualified for the job they have given him. Sending him out there next week, what are they trying to do?" Jumping on Andrew Hilditch’s poorly made comments of a ‘home ground advantage’ MacGill questioned whether Hilditch was actually aware of who Beer was as well as criticising Nathan Hauritz’s wrongful omission from the squad. "Xavier Doherty was [an odd inclusion] too, to be honest. They are clearly telling Nathan Hauritz, 'you are never playing Test cricket again'. I don't understand that. Xavier Doherty should never have played the first two Tests. Michael Beer shouldn't be playing this one." A disillusioned Hauritz is reportedly selling his cricket gear on eBay and who can blame him? After a consistent run that brought 63 test wickets, he has been discarded in an increasingly prominent trend of Australian selections.

Beer himself cannot hide his shock towards his selection and pluck from obscurity. Many have likened it to the surprise selection of one Peter Taylor to make his debut at the SCG during the Ashes Series of 1986/87. Taylor went on to make 46 and take 6 wickets on debut to take Australia to victory; whether Beer will have such an impact is yet to be seen.  Michael Beer is yet to meet his captain for the first time, yet to take more than 3 wickets in an innings and bowl more than 200 overs in his entire career. The impact he has on the test is hard to predict. Will he cut a swathe through the England juggernaut or simply take a pasting from the in-form Cook, Trott and Pietersen? To Beer or not to Beer. That is the question all of Australia wants answered.

Sanjeet Ajgaonkar.