O’Keefe pulled out

Cricket Australia’s decision to withdraw Steve O’Keefe from the Big Bash League has brought a terse response from the Sydney Sixers and questions about the spinner’s best preparation for next month’s test tour of India.

Just hours before the Sixers’ clash against the Melbourne Renegades on Monday night, CA revealed O’Keefe would not feature in another Twenty20 match this season after he and the game’s governing body agreed he needed more red-ball cricket ahead of joining Australia’s pre-India training camp later this month in Dubai.

This preparation won’t be in the Sheffield Shield, for the season is on hold because of the BBL, but rather through grade and Futures League matches.

Fairfax Media can reveal Sixers general manager Dominic Remond argued to CA team performance boss Pat Howard that the left-arm NSW finger spinner would be better off preparing for the spinning sub-continent decks and India’s aggressive batsmen by playing in the BBL.

‘‘We would have liked him to play another couple of games and do whatever else he is going to do, to work on his [fitness] loads and get his bowling loads up. I think there was a position where he could do both, from our perspective,’’ Remond said.

‘‘I haven’t had any discussions with Steve directly. I spoke to Pat Howard and suggested that to Pat. They have got their [CA] medical opinions on what’s best for him in terms of preparation for, potentially, if he gets chosen for that Indian series.

‘‘In some ways, we would suggest [with] how aggressive the Indian batters are, then bowling a few over in the BBL would be a pretty good way of getting in tune for that type of response.’’