O'Keefe to miss Bangladesh: reports

Left-arm spinner Stephen O’Keefe has been axed from the Australian Test team, according to reports.

News Limited is reporting O’Keefe will not feature in the squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, with Western Australia left-armer Ashton Agar set to be Nathan Lyon’s spin twin.

O’Keefe, 32, stunned India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year with a remarkable haul of 12-70 in Pune that powered Australia to a comprehensive 333-run victory.

But in the next three Tests, O’Keefe struggled to have the same impact, taking seven wickets at 53.14 as India fought back to claim the series 2-1.

After returning from India, O’Keefe was fined $20,000 and banned from participating in next summer’s Matador BBQs One-Day Cup for NSW after making “highly inappropriate comments” at an official Cricket NSW function in April. 

Agar shadowed O’Keefe and Lyon on the Qantas Tour of India and now looks set to play his first Test match since his memorable series debut in the 2013 Ashes.

The 23-year-old was a shock selection for the first Test of that series at Trent Bridge where, batting at No.11, scored an incredible 98 in his maiden Test innings.

Cricket Australia is expected to name its squad for August’s two-Test tour of Bangladesh later this afternoon.

The bulk of the squad that featured in India is expected to make up the travelling group to a country where Australia has not played a Test match in 11 years.