Labuschagne dumped from ODI squad as Test career hangs in balance
Australian cricket selection chief George Bailey refused to speculate on the Test future of struggling batter Marnus Labuschagne after axing him from the one-day international squad.
Labuschagne was a notable omission from a 17-player list released on Tuesday. The squad will play white-ball series in Zimbabwe and South Africa later this month.
Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Short of Australia. nna\smirzabegian
Labuschagne is also in danger of losing his spot in the Test side when it next plays in South Africa following the ODI swing.
The 32-year-old averages 33.55 from 72 ODI matches, but has registered just one half century in his last 16 innings and hasn’t scored a century in three years.
Labuschagne hasn’t scored a Test century in 43 innings and has been clinging to his spot in the batting order amid intense scrutiny and criticism.
Against Bangladesh last month he registered scores of 1, 31 and 4, and legendary former Aussie captain Ricky Ponting is among those calling for him to be dropped before the first Test against South Africa on October 9.
“I think it is inevitable that change is made going to South Africa… Labuschagne’s spot in the side is almost untenable, so they have to look at someone at No.3,” Ponting told Sky Sports this week.
Bailey fronted media on Tuesday and was at pains to point out the ODI squad has no bearing on selection for the Test series.
“We’re still very much working through what that Test squad looks like, but I can say we separate out those formats,” he said.
“There’s a very reasonable case some players could play the first four-day (Australia A) game and then make it across to South Africa, and they won’t miss any of the in-country preparation to be ready for that Test match.”
Labuschagne, though, is not in the Australia A squad either.
But the likes of Nathan McSweeney, Sam Konstas, Peter Handscomb, and Campbell Kellaway will be on the plane to India for two four-day matches. Those batters are among the players who could potentally knock Labuschagne out of the Test team.
Labschagne and Jake Weatherald – who was axed after one Test against Bangladesh last month – will be forced to stay home and practice in the nets in the hope of being selected in the Test squad again.
Jake Weatherald has lost his spot in the Test team. Getty Images
Weatherald was handed a national contract and then dumped after one match, but Bailey defended the bizarre selection decision.
“I think he’s still working through some of the technical changes that we talked about at the back end of last year. We’ve been really clear with Jake, it’s certainly not the end of the road for him,” Bailey said.
“It was discussed whether there was value in him going on this Australia A trip, but just to allow him a bit more time to embed the changes so the gap between what it looks like at training, and how it looks in performance, can hopefully close a little bit.
“He will get plenty of opportunities, I fully expect he will have a strong domestic season.”
Australia kicks off its white ball tour with an ODI against Zimbabwe on September 15. It plays three ODIs against Zimbabwe and then three against South Africa, concluding on September 30.
Labuschagne and spin bowler Matthew Kuhnemann headline the five players axed from the squad, while Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood all return.
Fast bowling veterans Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will skip the Zimbabwe games but return for the South Africa ones.
Aussie ODI squad
Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Australia A squad to tour India
Brendan Doggett, Jack Edwards, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott
