Why NSW letting Steve O’Keefe go will change Australian domestic cricket
On April 5, a disappointed 35-year-old Steve O’Keefe called time on his First-Class career after he was not given a new contract by his state-side New South Wales. That surely did shock one and all that saw Australian cricket in the past season or two, given O’Keefe’s looming presence with the ball.
12/70 against India, O’Keefe was largely looked at a supporting figure to Australia’s lone-spinner Nathan Lyon. Since then, he has played exactly four Test matches for the country, picking up nine wickets. Following the Test against Bangladesh, the left-arm spinner has been largely frozen out of the Australian squad, in favour of Mitch Swepson. However, two years since all this, despite picking up as many as 17 wickets, O’Keefe was axed from a contract for the 2021 season. And who did it? It was a decision from the New South Wales camp to drop O’Keefe from the squad list for the future season. Immediately following that decision, the left-arm spinner called time on his first-class career, including International cricket.
Are NSW out of their minds? That is the immediate reaction from the masses looking at what they did, given that Nathan Lyon is the only other spinner in the squad. However, keeping in mind that there would not be a lot of Tests upon the start of the domestic season next year, it seems like a sane move. But, to put in context, it is not!
Despite winning the 2019-20 season, all NSW had to do was simply retain the services of the veteran, for he knows the team better than many in the dressing room. On top of that, there haven’t been too many off-the-field incidents of late, and thus keeping him surely would have been a safe and sane move. But they haven’t, which now leaves them with the responsibility of picking a replacement for the left-arm spinner. Going back to 2013, a 22-Test old, Nathan Lyon moved states from South Australia to New South Wales. It largely allowed him to work alongside the former leg-spinner, Stuart MacGill, which improved him immensely, with results just showing he did indeed realize his potential. And, since then, there has been no turning back for the off-spinner. It happened despite the presence of two spinners in O’Keefe and Steve Smith.
Its 2020 and O’Keefe leaves the stage
In 2020, a similar situation has now ensued, with O’Keefe calling it time, meaning NSW need a top spinner. And the reason is fairly an easy one to understand, given that the pitches in Sydney are relatively friendly to the spinners. In case it is still not obvious, look at how New Zealand came calling for Will Somerville and Todd Astle during the SCG Test. Just before the SCG Test, New South Wales faced Western Australia at home, with a star-studded line-up. In the bowling department, NSW had giants like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon against Western Australia’s relatively inexperienced top-order.
Safe to say that Starc and Lyon would have set fire in the first innings right? Well, that is where the experience of O’Keefe came to their rescue, with three wickets in the first innings. Even in the Pune Test, despite the presence of Lyon in the playing XI, it needed O'Keefe's experience and uncanny ability to wreck the Indian batting outfit. Without O’Keefe, this is exactly where NSW will suffer, at the wrath of not having a left-arm spinner on turning tracks in Sydney on Day 3 and 4. But this is exactly where NSW can capitalise on, knowing that there are several players who would happy to land in Sydney and know that the ball is going to play a huge factor compared to the bat. Like they poached Lyon way back from South Australia, this is now their chance again to put their hands on a spinner and call him to Sydney. There are several spinners available on the current circuit, who would be more than happy to call the turning tracks of Sydney their home, away from the dust-pads of Western Australia or Queensland.
Who can NSW speed-dial?
On the current circuit, Jon Holland of Victoria would be happy to move states to NSW to win more titles. Given that in 2016 Holland replaced O’Keefe in the Australian setup, it is not a major ask on NSW’s to convince the left-arm spinner to switch states. Recently, we saw a very interesting swap from the two states, with Nic Maddinson moving from NSW to Victoria. We could very well see Holland move to a rather lively track in Sydney in a last-ditch effort to make a comeback to the Australian national team. He had been in the reckoning until O’Keefe made a leap over the Victorian.
On the other hand, there is Mitch Swepson, who has more or less being at the threshold of being selected to the playing XI before going with just one spinner. His time has not yet arrived at the international scene in the longest-format. However, here is a golden opportunity for him - exactly what he wants, a place where the ball turns, unlike in Queensland where it’s not a spinner’s paradise. Also, put in play that being in the New South Wales XI will help him immensely to work closely with Nathan Lyon, in turn getting an opportunity to play for Australia. If you think they are restricted with only two options, you are as wrong I was before thinking it through.
Two more options also have a certain aura around them, making it more than possible. One being Llyod Pope brought right into the setup in Sydney, where he has been playing his T20 cricket, with the Sixers. The leggie already knows the pitches in Sydney - which makes him a really interesting pick for NSW. Another factor being that with Stuart MacGill around, it will make Pope even more interested in a move to the state. Pope being just 20 years old could also sort the team out for at least the next decade, without having to sweat a lot.
The same goes for Tanveer Sangha. With Sangha, it is even more of a tempting prospect for NSW management. It has been a while since they have picked up talent in the spin-department, with all of their yesteryear talents’ being pacers. This is the golden opportunity where they could really put the goose into action. That alongside with Sangha’s composure would be a match made in heaven. While the leg-spinner is just 18, he will bring in more composure and more turn on his way to Sydney. The only thing that remains for him is to catch and absorb all the aura around the mighty ‘SCG,’ which will be just a matter of a few months after he makes that move.
How does it all affect the Australian national team?
In simple words, the future of the Australian cricket team is more or less in the hands of few states - with NSW being one of the major players. For Australia, getting these players to play in Sydney, one of the spin-friendly wickets in the country, is 24-carat gold. And it presents some of the best talents available in the country with the best opportunity that there could be. Given that some of them are not immediate starters in the Australian team, the others need to prove a point.
So a move to New South Wales can be the best of options for both parties, and more importantly, to the interest of the ones in the Australian management. They would surely want the likes of Swepson playing in a rather spin-friendly condition rather than sweating it out in conditions where they will not be picked in the national team. Keeping the larger picture in mind, it might be beneficial for all parties involved. And, to conclude, it leaves NSW’s future in safe hands - be it a short-term one they are looking at or at a larger-term, with some of the other deals.