O'Keefe ruled out of Matador Cup

Steve O'Keefe's nightmarish start to the season has escalated further, with a broken finger ruling the New South Wales and Australia left-arm spinner out of the Matador Cup.

The injury took place in a Sydney grade match before the domestic limited-overs tournament began, when O'Keefe went for a catch while playing for Manly-Warringah. O'Keefe had only recently returned to playing after a hamstring injury had ruled him out of the Test tour of Sri Lanka midway through the first match of the series at Pallekele.

On his return home, O'Keefe was fined $10,000 by NSW after being handed an infringement notice by NSW police for offensive behaviour and refusing to leave the premises of a Manly pub. The NSW coach Trent Johnston summed up a tough period for O'Keefe, who remains in the forefront of the national selectors' minds for next year's Test tour of India.

"It's hugely disappointing for him," Johnston said. "He had overcome the injury that ruled him out of the Sri Lanka tour and was back to full fitness and enjoying his cricket. Sokkie will come back, he'll keep working on his fitness and be in and around our group as an experienced player."

Ben Rohrer, the left-handed batsman who initially missed selection for the Blues' squad, has replaced O'Keefe for the tournament after some impressive displays in recent weeks.

"Rohrs had a slow start to preseason with a couple of injuries," Johnston said. "He never got a chance to bat in the middle and missed out on our Maroochydore pre-season camp. It was a difficult decision to leave him out, especially with his experience.

"He came back though, as the true professional that he is, and got a double-century in a 50-over Premier Cricket game and a 90 in an intra-squad trial so he just proved to us that he hasn't gone anywhere."

Another man who may benefit from O'Keefe's absence is Chris Green, the young offspinner who may now find himself bowling in tandem with Nathan Lyon.