‘We won’t be considering Marn’: Bailey confirms Labuschagne’s omission from NZ Tests

New Delhi: Cricket Australia selection chair George Bailey on Monday confirmed that Marnus Labuschagne will not be considered for the upcoming four-Test series against New Zealand in December and January, bringing an end to speculation surrounding the batter’s immediate future in the national side after a prolonged lean patch. Bailey said the decision would also give the Queensland batter some breathing space to rediscover his form during the next round of Sheffield Shield fixtures.

“At this stage, we won’t be considering Marn for selection for certainly that first Test, but for the New Zealand series. There’s been a lot of speculation around his place in the team, and so I think this gives him a little bit of space and clears up a bit of conjecture as we work through the next round of (Sheffield) Shield cricket,” Bailey told reporters, as quoted by cricket.com.au.

The decision comes after Labuschagne struggled to convert his starts into substantial scores during Australia’s recent assignments against Bangladesh and South Africa. The 31-year-old has not registered a half-century in his last 16 innings, with his latest outings yielding 36 runs at an average of 12 against Bangladesh and 131 at 21.83 in South Africa. Australia drew the Bangladesh series 1-1 before suffering a 2-1 defeat in South Africa.

Once regarded as a dependable presence at No. 3, Labuschagne’s prolonged wait for a Test century has now stretched to 49 innings, dating back to his last three-figure score against England at Manchester during the 2023 Ashes. His latest setback also marks the second time in 17 months that he has lost his place in Australia’s Test plans.

Bailey, however, made it clear that the latest omission should not be interpreted as the end of Labuschagne’s international career. With a demanding Test calendar ahead, including a five-match tour of India and an away Ashes assignment next year, the selection chair believes the batter still has an opportunity to force his way back through consistent performances.

“It’s still possible, absolutely. And I think we all know how good and how effective Marnus can be at his best. But that performance hasn’t been there. I think he’s missed some opportunities, some promising starts in Darwin (against Bangladesh) and even in South Africa as well, to go on and get a big score that we’d like and would have liked for some time, and that just hasn’t happened. But I don’t think we’ve ever ruled anyone out permanently…and that’s no different in this case,” Bailey said.

Labuschagne had regained his preferred No. 3 position ahead of the home Ashes after an encouraging start to the domestic season. He made half-centuries in both the opening Tests of the series but was unable to sustain that momentum, with his subsequent performances failing to meet Australia’s expectations.

For now, the right-hander will return to domestic cricket and captain Queensland, with the next Sheffield Shield round beginning on Wednesday, November 11. Bailey said the decision to make Australia’s position public ahead of the squad announcement was deliberate, given the attention surrounding Labuschagne’s place in the team.

“We just felt like this one was an important one, as much for Marn, just to give him the space. He’ll obviously go back and captain Queensland. (We) didn’t really think it was beneficial to have that conjecture hanging over his head for the next week or so,” he added.

Australia are expected to announce their squad for the first Test against New Zealand after the conclusion of the next Sheffield Shield round, with selectors set to assess domestic performances before finalising their combination.

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