Marnus Labuschagne will be the SuperCoach BBL buy of the season after returning from India
Marnus Labuschagne has shot to popularity in the past 12 months and his status as Australian cricket’s new pin-up boy is set to translate to SuperCoach BBL.
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SuperCoaches could not have asked for a better belated Christmas present.
Australia’s leading run scorer of the summer, Marnus Labuschagne will be the SuperCoach bargain of the summer when he returns from his first one-day tour later this month.
Labuschagne, who has rocketed to No. 4 on the Test batting rankings, will return to Brisbane Heat after the three-match series against India as one of the world’s in-form batsmen.
While fellow late-season targets Steve Smith and AB De Villiers carry a hefty $225,000 price tag, Labuschagne is available for a ridiculously cheap $62,500.
Coaches will be clamouring to trade in Australian cricket’s newest pin-up boy ahead of his first BBL game of the summer — likely to be January 23 against Sydney Sixers.
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That would give Labuschagne one game before Brisbane Heat’s Round 13 double, when the pre-tournament favourite plays Melbourne Stars (January 25) and Melbourne Renegades (January 27).
He would also feature in finals, should Brisbane qualify.
Labuschagne’s role in a stacked Heat batting line-up will be fascinating to see and it could be worth holding off until after his first appearance.
AB De Villiers will soon replace English opener Tom Banton, which is likely to result in a reshuffle.
Matt Renshaw or Ben Cutting could open with Max Bryant, leaving No. 4 open for South African legend De Villiers.
That would likely mean Labuschagne slots in at No. 5 or No. 6, two positions which bring his SuperCoach suitability into question.
But when you consider his form, price and his availability as a BAT-BWL, does his role really matter?
By Round 12, when the Australian ODI team returns to the BBL, you’ll need a wealth of spare cash or a downgrade target to load your team with the biggest stars.
Labuschagne is exactly that and the timing could hardly be better when he has a double in Round 13.
There’s a reason the line will be longer than outside Myer on Boxing Day to trade Labuschagne in — aside from Haris Rauf, he shapes as the bargain of the season and certainly the No. 1 downgrade.
He’s a very different player to the one who batted No. 7 and didn’t bowl in his only BBL match last season, the infamous blackout fiasco between the Heat and Sydney Thunder.
Labuschagne has underlined his ability to dominate attacks this summer and has the quality to translate his huge Test numbers to the BBL.
Originally published as Marnus Labuschagne will be the SuperCoach BBL buy of the season after returning from India