Australian spinner Steve O' Keefe vows to stay away from alcohol this summer after hotel incident

Australian spinner Steve O’ Keefe has vowed not to drink through the summer in an attempt to have the best possible chance of representing the national team again. The tweaker was fined $10,000 by Cricket Australia last month after an incident at a Sydney hotel where he allegedly misbehaved with a security guard who denied him entry.

The incident happened after O’Keefe returned to Australia mid-way from the trip to Sri Lanka where he suffered a hamstring injury during the first Test. If he remains controversy free and fit, O’ Keefe might be considered for the tour to India next year.The spinner said he is focused on his recovery and training and would not touch alcohol in order to make a comeback into the team.

"I'm getting older and I'm getting injuries like the hamstring, which I'd never done before, and if I want to at my age give myself a realistic chance of having the long career that I want then I need to be doing these other things outside the game," O'Keefe told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"It's not something I go around touting to every individual. I'm planning to go the cricket season (without alcohol). It's not for everyone though. I love a beer and having a beer at the end of the game with your mates you certainly got a lot out of. You sit back and try to relax and some of those conversations you have really extend your cricket.

"But I think for me right now it's the best thing I can do to give myself every chance of playing the best cricket and being as healthy as I possibly can. I'm into day 31, I've been ticking them off."O’ Keefe said the incident at the hotel was sparked off by frustration as his three Test matches have been spread across three different series. He was also part of the squad which was scheduled to fly to Bangladesh but then the tour got cancelled. He next injured himself in Sri Lanka.

"I think I mainly just felt sorry for myself," O'Keefe said. "I was home for a week and I felt like I had things under wraps and then you have a couple of drinks and those other thoughts that are sitting at the back of your head start to come to fruition. You think, 'is that it? Is that your last opportunity to play cricket for Australia?'

"When you go home and you're on your own, you sit down and reflect on it and the Test is on the TV, it's a hard thing to take. Obviously, it's fair to say I didn't handle it appropriately at all."Reportedly after the incident the spinner spoke to the police and apologized to the hotel manager.