Australia axe Marnus Labuschagne with batter averaging less than 24 in 10 Tests since returning to the side for last winter’s Ashes; chair of selectors George Bailey does not rule out 32-year-old being recalled for tour to India early next year and next summer’s Ashes series in England Australia have dropped Marnus Labuschagne for the four-Test series at home to New Zealand. The squad has not yet been announced for a contest that begins in Perth on December 9, but chair of selectors Bailey has revealed that batter Labuschagne will not be selected after averaging only 23.66 in 10 Tests since returning for last winter’s Ashes. The 32-year-old mustered just 131 runs across three Tests at an average of 21.83 during Australia’s recent 2-1 series defeat in South Africa and has gone 49 innings without a Test century, stretching back to the 2023 Ashes series in England. Bailey told reporters: “We won’t be considering Marn for selection.
“I just wanted to clear that up as there’s going to be, or has been, a lot of speculation around his. I think this gives him a little bit of space and clears up a bit of conjecture.” Bailey did not rule out Labuschagne forcing his way back in for the tour of India early next year or next summer’s Ashes series. He said: “It’s still possible, absolutely. I think we all know how good and how effective Marnus can be at his best.
But that performance hasn’t been there. “He’s pragmatic. He knows that the fundamental nature of being a batter in the top six is to score runs and that just hasn’t happened.” Labuschagne, who struck 10 centuries in his first 30 Tests and was once ranked No 1 in the ICC batting rankings, was briefly dropped for last year’s tour of the West Indies, only to force his way back in for the 2025-26 Ashes after five hundreds in 10 innings for state side Queensland across red-ball and one-day cricket. Bailey added of the right-hander, who has notched only one hundred in his last 38 Tests: “He’s always been an incredible performer at first-class level, so I expect that that’ll be the case [again].
“There’s no message to go back and do anything in particular. I think the currency is pretty obvious. The plan is just to go back and focus on playing as well as he can for Queensland for a period of time.” After playing New Zealand in Perth, Australia will face the Black Caps in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney before taking on India away in five Tests from January 21. The team’s next assignment is a series of white-ball games at home to England, with the three-match ODI leg starting in Perth on Friday ahead of five T20s from November 21.
ODIs 3.30am UK time, with T20s 8.15am UK time
