Cricket ODI World Cup 2023: Marnus Labuschagne keen to turn injury reprieve into WC start
Marnus Labuschagne was left out of the Australian ODI World Cup squad but is hopeful he can force selectors to change their minds after a last minute call up to the warm-up series.
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Marnus Labuschagne is adamant he is the man to bat No. 4 for Australia at the upcoming World Cup, and is determined to prove it before the clock strikes midnight.
Brutally omitted from the preliminary World Cup squad, a door has now been left ever so slightly ajar for Labuschagne after Steve Smith was ruled out of the warm-up one-day matches against South Africa with a tendon injury to his wrist.
Although Smith is expected to be fully fit by the start of the World Cup in October, his interim replacement Labuschagne doesn’t see himself as a fill-in man and is hellbent on forcing selectors to change their minds in South Africa before the final World Cup 15 is set in stone.
“I haven’t performed in my last 5-10 one-day games as well as I should have and that’s why we’re in this position … but low and behold I’m back in and I’m going to South Africa,” Labuschagne told CODE Sports.
“For me, I always see opportunity and there’s going to be some opportunities there. How many? Who knows. But there’s opportunities there to change the view.
“I still think I’m the best player for the role at No. 4 and I think if I’m playing at my best I am the best player for that role.
“Without getting in too selfish a mindset, opportunities arise and from my perspective, if I do get the opportunity to play, I’m really confident I’m going to take those opportunities and potentially change the selectors’ (thinking).”
In Test cricket, Labuschagne’s ability to so closely mirror the attributes of Steve Smith has been so effective it’s resulted in, up until recently, the apprentice usurping his master in the world rankings.
But in one-day cricket, some have theorised that Labuschagne’s likeness to Smith counts against him.
The trends of modern white ball cricket, so dominated by six hitters and all-rounders means it’s rare for teams to carry more than one “anchor” batsman in the top four, and for Australia, Smith is first man chosen for his rare ability to shape a 50-over innings.
In stark contrast to Labuschagne’s record as one of the world’s premier Test batsmen, his 50-over numbers are less eye popping, with one century from 30 matches at an average of just 31.37.
At the 2015 World Cup, Australian selectors made a firm decision before the tournament that class batsmen Michael Clarke and George Bailey were too similar to play in the same top six, and it was one or the other.
Bailey played the first match with Clarke injured, but was then forced to watch the rest of the tournament from the sidelines, despite in his own right boasting a record as one of the world’s finest 50-over batsmen.
According to Labuschagne, any assertion that the Australian ODI top six isn’t big enough for both he and Smith is wrong … and Smith agrees.
It’s clear Smith believes Labuschagne could be an asset for Australia if parachuted back into the World Cup fold at the last moment.
“Personally, I don’t see any reason why he and I can’t play in the same team,” Smith told CODE Spots.
“I think if we’re batting together in the middle overs, if the spinners are on, I think we can score at a good rate without taking a great deal of risk.
“I certainly don’t think there is an issue with it, particularly with the fact that the wickets (in India for a World Cup) could wear throughout and towards the back end could be slow, spin friendly wickets where the scores come down.
“You need some nous about you and the game smarts and I think he’s got that.
“We’ve seen Marnus is one of the best Test players in the world at the moment, so he’s just a genuinely good player.
“He has his opportunity now and he’s pretty keen to take it. We’ll wait and see.”
Labuschagne believes he and Smith can be the one-two punch Australia needs to grind out a World Cup in the toughest conditions in world cricket.
“I can’t speak for what the selectors or the coaching staff think … but If I’m playing at my best, I feel like Steve and I can play in the same team any time,” Labuschagne said.
“Our record together in the middle is very good.”
ASHES REGRETS
Labuschagne was one of only four centurions for Australia during the recent Ashes, but the 29-year-old considers the series as a personal failure.
Averaging just 32 from the five Tests when he came into the series as the world’s No. 1 batsman, Labuschagne said the drawn campaign ranks as the toughest learning experience of his career so far.
“No, not great. I learnt a lot,” is Labuschagne’s self-assessment of how he fared.
“I think sometimes you need to fail to grow and as a player I think I recognise that series as a massive missed opportunity. One for the Australian cricket team, but two for me personally.
“There was some good moments there. The hundred I scored at Old Trafford. But overall I just wasn’t consistent enough.
“It’s an opportunity for me to sit back and reflect and really make sure that going into the next two-three years that I’m as consistent as I was the last four years.
“This is the first real series that I’ve missed out or really had a bit of a poorer series.
“But once again, tough times breed tough people.”
Labuschagne takes plenty of solace from the fact that despite having a poor series by his lofty standards, he still managed to face 698 balls – the third most by any batsman English or Australian in the series.
“It showed me that it doesn’t matter the conditions or what’s going on, the hardest part is getting to 30-40 or 50 balls and I pretty much got there. To get eight starts in a country where it’s tough to start in, that’s alright,” Labuschagne said.
“ … I really wish I was a bit more adapting and trying to put the bowlers under pressure in my own method and my own way, which is what I did in 2019 really well and what I did in 2020 against New Zealand and Pakistan.
“I was thinking a little bit too internal and I didn’t think enough external.”
FATHERHOOD
Labuschagne‘s little baby girl Hallie and wife Rebekah travelled with him on the Ashes tour and the master batsman wouldn’t have it any other way as he relishes life as a father.
“I think it’s a pure joy, especially to have them on tour. That‘s a real blessing that we’re able to do that because I really love my family and I love having them with me as much as I possibly can,” Labuschagne said.
“Yes it’s got its challenges in terms of when you’re on the road and travelling and all that, but it’s fun to do the journey with Bek and Haille.
“In terms of fatherhood, I just love it. There’s nothing I enjoy more than waking up in the morning and the first thing I see is my daughter‘s face and I go and pick her up out of her cot, and she’s got a big smile on and it’s amazing. They’re the real joys that you love.”
PLAY CRICKET WEEK
Cricket Australia this week started its push for sign ons for the upcoming cricket season, but 19 years ago, no one had to sell the idea to Marnus Labuschagne.
“We moved over here from South Africa in 2003. I think we arrived on a Wednesday, and I was playing club cricket on the Saturday,” Labuschagne said.
“Literally the first objective was to get into a cricket club and that’s when I joined Cleveland/Thornlands. And I absolutely loved it.
“It really helped me interact with and understand English as a young South African kid who didn’t know how to speak English.”
Cricket-obsessed Labuschagne grew up with South African greats Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Jonty Rhodes as his heroes, but from the moment he arrived in Australia, his dream became to one day wear the baggy green.
Labuschagne’s parents Alta and Andre supported him every step of the way.
“Every house we moved to after we came to Australia had to have a cricket pitch in the backyard. That was the first thing, ‘OK, where are we going to fit this in,’” Labuschagne said.
“I’m so thankful for my parents. They nurtured my dreams, my career and supported me every step of the way.
“I can only imagine someone as passionate and emotional as I am at times, as a young kid missing out on teams or not doing well, there were some rocky moments along the road, but they always encouraged me to chase my dream of playing cricket for Australia.”
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