Marnus Labuschagne will not be considered for selection for the upcoming four-Test series against New Zealand, the team’s selectors have told fans this week, after he struggled to score many runs from the number three spot over in South Africa (and earlier, too).
The Australian selectors will be picking the squad for the first Test against New Zealand after the Sheffield Shield’s fourth round. That competition starts on Wednesday.
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This decision, Australia’s chair of selectors George Bailey explained, is so that Labuschagne can return to captaining Queensland in the domestic competition without any worries about the national side hanging over his head.
“We won’t be considering Marn for selection, certainly for that first Test, but [also] for the New Zealand series,” he confirmed, speaking to reporters on Monday.
“The reason I just wanted to clear that up today is I think there’s going to be, or has been, a lot of speculation around his place in the Australian team.
“This gives him a little bit of space and clears up a bit of conjecture as we work through the next round of Shield cricket, and we’ll pick the rest of that squad at the end of the completion of round four of Sheffield Shield.”
The writing has been on the wall for the lacklustre Labuschagne for some time now, especially considering he’s been averaging 23.66 through the last ten Tests. His last century was scored against England in 2023, and he has only knocked out one half-century through the same period as well.
Bailey conceded that Labuschagne may be able to force his way back into the team for the India and England tours coming next year, but will decide then.
“It’s still possible, absolutely,” Bailey said on him earning his spot back.
“I think we all know how good and how effective Marnus can be at his best. But that performance hasn’t been there.
I think he’s missed some opportunities, some promising starts in Darwin and even in South Africa as well, to go on and get a big score that we’d like and would have liked for some time, and that just hasn’t happened.”
Bailey then made sure to add that “I don’t think we’ve ever ruled anyone out permanently to ever not be selected again, and that’s no different in this.”
Steve Smith is still up in the air for selection, too, but he will play for QLD in the Shield soon.
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