Marnus Labuschagne is excited about his first ODI match for Australia in South Africa

Marnus Labuschagne is back in his country of birth South Africa and will be looking to catch up with a legend of the game he first met as a four-year-old.

Former South Africa cricket Shaun Pollock with a young Marnus Labuschagne.

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Forget about the return to Cape Town, it’s the journey back to Klerksdorp that’s the all-consuming mission for one Australian cricketer on this tour.

Marnus Labuschagne has spent almost two weeks in South Africa leading into Saturday’s one-day series, visiting family with his wife, Rebekah – and has become a back-page news sensation in the local Afrikaans newspapers.

Born in the tiny town of Klerksdorp, Labuschagne emigrated with his family to Australia aged 10 and struggled to speak English when he started school in Brisbane, not knowing what a rubber or a ruler was.

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Former South Africa cricket Shaun Pollock with a young Marnus Labuschagne.

Now he’s back to his country of birth, including a third ODI in Potchefstroom, which is just 20 minutes from Klerksdorp. Dozens of Labuschagnes already have tickets in what shapes as a special family reunion.

Meanwhile, a picture has surfaced of a 4-year-old Labuschagne posing with South African great Shaun Pollock before an ODI against Australia at Bloemfontein in 1997.

According to Labuschagne’s father, South African coach at the time Bob Woolmer said: “We need to get you a contract young man,” as Marnus stood by the nets.

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Both Pollock and Labuschagne will return to that same scene in Bloemfontein for the second of three one-dayers next Wednesday – one in the commentary box and the other on the field completing a homecoming of sorts that he would have circled on the calendar ever since his ODI debut earlier this year.

Marnus Labuschagne training in South Africa. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Pollock jokes that he taught Labuschagne everything he knows.

“I remember the outfits and I knew when it was. It was in 1997,” Pollock told The Daily Telegraph.

“The Afrikaans paper asked me and I said, ‘yeah we discussed a lot of Test cricket and I gave him some good game plans about how he could apply himself in the years to come.’

“But in those times I don’t think a kid is looking to do anything else but just to have a photo. I think it was more from the parents’ perspective actually that they wanted the photo.

“It looks like dad has said, ‘go stand with Pollock.’ He doesn’t know what it is.”

But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Labuschagne, it’s that he learns by osmosis.

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The 25-year-old came into Test cricket with a first-class average of 33, yet has soaked up every bit of knowledge along the way to finish the No.1 Test batsman in the world last year.

Pollock is impressed – and that’s why he’s happy to claim some credit.

“He’s been brilliant hasn’t he? As commentators we often sit up here and go on about game plans and wonder why there isn’t more old fashioned approaches and techniques,” said Pollock.

“That is leaving it well and then scoring when they come too straight. From that perspective he’s been a breath of fresh air.

Dozens of family members will be showing up for Marnus Labuschagne’s first ODI appearance for Australia in South Africa. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images/Getty Images

“The way he’s applied himself. It’s never easy trying to make your way in Test cricket and he’s churned it out. He’s really laid a good foundation. And then how he launches himself from there we’ll just wait and see.”

Pollock, a veteran of 108 Tests for his country, feels Labuschagne has the tools to himself stay at the top for a very long time.

“It’s a technique that is quite selective. He tries to eliminate as much of the risk as he possibly can,” he said.

“As former bowlers, we do feel the modern generation is a little bit more determined to get on with the game. They want to score and keep the scoreboard ticking over. Whereas Marnus looks like he’s prepared to just wait for the right delivery. Not that he scores slowly, but he’s very disciplined to get at the front of his innings and I think that’s a great trait to have.”

Originally published as Marnus Labuschagne is excited about his first ODI match for Australia in South Africa