Sydney: Out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne has been named in the Australia squad for next month's three-Test tour of South Africa. Number three batsman Labuschagne, 32, who was born in South Africa, has not scored a century since 2023 and struggled in two Tests against Bangladesh last month.
According to BBC, Labuschagne, having scored one, 31, and four, was subsequently left out of Australia's squad for the three one-day internationals in Zimbabwe and another three in South Africa. Chief Australia selector George Bailey acknowledged the need for more runs from Labuschagne but expressed confidence in his ability to contribute positively to the squad. "Our batting group in its entirety, not just Marn, probably hasn't been functioning as successfully as we would like," Bailey stated.
When questioned if the South Africa series would be Labuschagne's last chance, Bailey said: "No, I wouldn't say that. But again, it's a hypothetical, isn't it?" This series marks Australia's first Test visit to South Africa since the infamous Sandpapergate ball-tampering scandal in 2018, which led to Captain Steve Smith and vice-skipper David Warner being banned for a year.
Among the current squad, only Captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Smith, and Matt Renshaw remain from the 3-1 series defeat in 2018. The 16-man squad also includes Cooper Connolly, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Michael Neser, remaining unchanged from the last Bangladesh Test.
Australia is scheduled to travel to Durban for the first Test on 9 October before the series progresses to Gqeberha and Cape Town.