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Siddle spruiks benefits of booze ban

Fast bowler says alcohol ban has helped his career, but it’s up to Steve O’Keefe if he wants to follow same path

Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle believes Stephen O’Keefe might consider giving up alcohol again in order to restate his case for Test selection and prolong his career.

But while the Victorian credits going booze-free five years ago as being a key factor in improving his own fitness, he says any decision regarding alcohol is ultimately a personal one.

O’Keefe was fined $20,000 and banned for the entirety of next summer’s domestic one-day competition after he made "highly inappropriate comments" when intoxicated following NSW’s end-of-season awards function earlier this month.

The timing of the indiscretion was unfortunate for the left-armer, who had just taken 19 wickets – including a record-breaking 12-wicket haul in the first Test – in a breakout tour of India.

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It was the second time in less than a year that O’Keefe had landed in hot water for an alcohol-related incident. Last August, he was fined $10,000 by Cricket Australia and issued an Infringement Notice by NSW Police for offensive behaviour and being intoxicated outside a Manly pub.

That slip-up was the trigger for him to abstain from drinking for the rest of the summer, and Siddle says O’Keefe would already understand how that could benefit him again.

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"I think he showed he doesn’t need a lot of advice," the Victorian told Fox Sports when asked if he had any counsel for O’Keefe.

"He made that change (giving up alcohol) after that first indiscretion 12 months ago leading up to the summer and into the Indian series, where he knew he was going to be a massive chance of taking up that second spinner’s role.

"He got off the drink then and went sober all the way up until I think the Indian series, from what I’ve heard.

"So he knows what he needs to do to be out on the park and put the right foot forward."

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O’Keefe last year admitted he’d "carried on like a pork chop" in the incident at the Manly hotel, which came after he flew home early from Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka with a hamstring injury.

The injury had left O’Keefe questioning whether or not his international career was over and he consequently decided to swear off alcohol in order to enhance his case of selection for the Indian tour.

"Obviously it's fair to say I didn't handle it appropriately at all," he told Fairfax last September. "I think I mainly just felt sorry for myself.

"I'd been 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 around in 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."

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Numerous cricketers in recent years have taken self-imposed booze bans, with Australia’s vice-captain David Warner and Siddle being the most notable.

But Siddle stopped short of urging O’Keefe to follow his lead, saying the spinner was the only one who could make that decision.

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"I know personally, yes, that was a big part in (my decision), a bit of behavioural stuff," he said. "I’m a lot better person sober.

"I wanted to make that change for the better of my lifestyle and for my career.

"You want to play this game for as long as you can, it doesn’t last forever. You have to make everything count for the years you are in the game.

"Maybe it is time for him to make the choices but it’s a personal thing. If he wants it enough, he’ll make the right decision hopefully."

O’Keefe said he was looking forward to receiving counselling, which is part of his punishment from CA and Cricket NSW for the incident this month.

"I accept the sanctions imposed by Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW and welcome the chance to receive specialist counselling,” he said in a statement.

"I have a big challenge ahead and I am determined to meet it with actions, not just words."