FORMER Hawkesbury Cricket Club player Stephen O’Keefe has been selected in the Australian test squad, which will tour Sri Lanka over July and August.
O’Keefe joins fellow NSW spinner Nathan Lyon in the 15 man squad.
The first test is on July 26, and O’Keefe will be a strong chance to make the team, given the sub-continent’s kindness to spin bowlers.
O’Keefe has had some bad luck in recent times, which has restricted his ability to play for Australia.
He was picked for the Australian squad last year, which was meant to tour Bangladesh, but the tour was called off.
He then earned a baggy green against the West Indies, only to have the last two days of the match earlier this year rained out.
O’Keefe said it was unfortunate, but he felt privileged to even be considered for Australia.
“I was just fortunate we were able to bowl first [against the West Indies] and I was able to get some overs,” he said.
“I consider myself a very fortunate cricketer. Any opportunity you get to play for Australia and walk out with your baggy green on I feel very privileged.
“You can look at in two ways. You can be frustrated or you can feel privileged.”
O’Keefe said he was looking forward to bowling with Nathan Lyon in Sri Lanka.
“One of the beauties of working with Nathan is he is an extremely humble cricketer and he is also very giving of his time,” he said.
“I think we've had reasonable success, even in one day tournaments last year when we bowled together in the Matador Cup and in previous years in shield cricket we've bowled well together.
“I feel extremely fortunate to be bowling with him.”
