Mystery surrounds life after Cummins for Test side, with Head, Labuschagne, among conteners

While the choice of a new Test opener is the biggest current issue, another intriguing storyline has taken a twist: what if skipper Pat Cummins outlasts the contenders?

When Marnus Labuschagne walked on to the WACA this week he became the dark horse in the race to be Australia’s next Test cricket captain.

Not the frontrunner by any means but, for the first time, a genuine entrant in the field.

The Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia, in which Labuschagne sent the home side in to bat only to see them amass a monstrous 465, is the 30-year-old’s first as Bulls Shield skipper.

It came as Queensland officials attempt to enhance his Test captaincy credentials.

For years high ranking Australian officials have said one of the reasons they felt comfortable about never picking Labuschagne as a leader was that Queensland never had. The Bulls elevation has cleared that path.

If the appointment of a new Test opener is the hottest cricket question of the moment the choice of a Test captain to one day follow Pat Cummins in a few summers time is the most intriguing long term poser.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 08: Marnus Labuschagne of Queensland shines the ball during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA Ground, on October 08, 2024, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

If you were framing a market it would go something like: $1.40 Travis Head, $4 Labuschagne, $7 Mitchell Marsh and $8 Cameron Green.

If roughies are your go then you could have a nibble on Victoria’s young skipper Will Sutherland or South Australia’s Brisbane-raised Australia A skipper Nathan McSweeeney who captained the Brisbane Heat to last season’s Big Bash title.

That sounds like a throw at the stumps but what if Cummins outlasts Head, Labuschagne and Marsh? Suddenly it could be time for the new generation.

Australian captains can pop up from strange places, defying all sorts of predictions and pecking orders.

There were times when Tim Paine was struggling to get a Sheffield Shield match for Tasmania in the seasons before he captained Australia.

Even Cummins indicated he wasn’t interested in being an Australian captain just a year or two out from getting the job.

Australia’s Test vice-captain Travis Head is favourite to succeed Pat Cummins. Picture:Getty Images

Head, as a Test vice-captain, is favourite but not yet over the line for what could be a rugged assignment similar to the hard yakka era Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke faced after a golden generation retired.

Australia has only one current member of its Test XI (Green) under 30 and next year’s Ashes series in Australia - as Ashes series often do - is likely to feature the end of some long running careers.

Several players have already spoken to each other behind closed doors about their desire to make England their swansong in the way that Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer retired after a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2007.

Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer retired together after a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2007. Picture: Phil Hillyard

This much is certain from Labuschagne’s first few days as a Shield captain. He will do it his way.

At one stage, when bowling himself, he had fieldsman at the rarely seen straight hit spot directly behind the umpire and bowled a series of quirky medium paced bouncers.

Labuschagne started the season on an unfortunate note as captained of his Redlands club side when he was charged with dissent after venting his disapproval at a decision which he felt was a fair catch and the umpires thought was a bump ball.

It spotlighted two things.

The first is that he cares deeply about all levels of the game but the most telling was that he must learn to keep his emotions in check at key times if he wants to be a leader at the highest level.

Originally published as Mystery surrounds life after Cummins for Test side, with Head, Labuschagne, among conteners