Quick Facts
Biography
Stephen Norman John O'Keefe (born 9 December 1984 in Malaysia) is an Australian cricketer and current captain of the New South Wales Sheffield Shield team.
Stephen is a spinner for the Sydney Sixers. He is also a handy batsman for the Sixers. O'Keefe picked up the first wicket for the 2016–17 Big Bash League season. Sydney Thunder opening batsmen Kurtis Patterson just lobbed it to Doug Bollinger.
Career
O'Keefe made his First-Class debut for New South Wales against Tasmania in November 2005. O'Keefe took 2 wickets and scored 10 runs on debut. His first scoring shot was a six.
O'Keefe was called up to the Australian Test team to replace the injured Nathan Hauritz for the series against Pakistan in England, but did not play in the Tests. He made his Twenty20 international debut during the England tour.
2010 saw Stephen O'Keefe as a crucial member of the NSW Blues squads in all forms of cricket. On the eve of the 2010 Ashes series O'Keefe performed impressively taking 4/88 against a full strength English batting line up. These figures would remain the best by an Australian spinner all summer. He also top scored with the bat scoring 66 runs.
The Kochi Tuskers Kerala picked him up at the Indian Premier League auction for $20,000. In Sydney Grade Cricket he plays for Manly Warringah, although he originally played for Hawkesbury.
He finished the 2013/14 domestic Sheffield Shield season as the leading wicket taker with 41 wickets for the NSW Blues, just edging out Western Australia's Jason Behrendorff.
He made his Test match debut for Australia against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates on 22 October 2014. He was Australian Test Cap number 439.
Others
On 8 August 2016, Steve O'Keefe was fined $10,000 by Cricket Australia after being issued with a criminal infringement notice by New South Wales Police following an incident at a Sydney hotel on 6 August 2016.
Personal life
O'Keefe was born on 9 December 1984 in Malaysia to Stephen, who worked for the Royal Australian Air Force, and Jan, a nurse. His father was stationed in Malaysia at the time of his birth. The family, which also includes O'Keefe's sister Rebekah, later moved to Sale, Victoria and then to Richmond, New South Wales. O'Keefe taught at the Richmond High School during his early cricket career.
Career best performances
| Bowling | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
| Test | 3/53 | Australia v Pakistan | Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia | 2017 |
| T20I | 3/29 | Australia v Pakistan | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 2010 |
| FC | 7/35 | Australia A v Sri Lanka A | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | 2010 |
| LA | 3/65 | Queensland v New South Wales | Gabba, Brisbane | 2012 |
| T20 | 3/20 | Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 2012 |