Australia legend Matthew Hayden has called for the exclusion of veteran batter Marnus Labuschagne from the team, highlighting his topsy-turvy form with the bat over the past two years. Hayden suggested that Labuschagne’s struggles are rooted in a sustained lean patch rather than a recent dip in form. The 33-year-old once averaged over 60 in Tests, but that figure has fallen into the mid-40s over the past two years or so, prompting Hayden to call for an overhaul of Australia’s batting department.
“Marnus Labuschagne has been in that sort of form for 2 years. What’s going to change overnight, not only when we go to Mackay, but what’s going to change come that first Test in the Australian summer in proper?” Hayden told 7Cricket.
Hayden also advised the team management to recall Matt Renshaw and try Travis Head at No. 3, a position that Labuschagne made his own through consistent performances.
“What I would do I think is put Travis Head at No. 3 and then I would start to look for a refresh and a refit at that top of the order. I want some experience at the top. I want to see Matt Renshaw and I’ve been saying this for at least 12 months,” he added.
Former Australia batter and selector and selector Mark Waugh said that it is a “50/50” call on Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne for the second Test against Bangladesh after a painful loss in the first and if they go, “it would be the end of them at Test level”.
Marnus has notably not scored a Test century since the tour of England for The Ashes back in 2023 and has been averaging in the mid-to-early 20s for the most part, with just a few moments of brilliance. Wetherald has not been effective up the order since his debut in the home Ashes last year, scoring 224 runs in six Tests and 12 innings at an average of 20.36, with just one fifty.
Speaking after the match on Fox Cricket, Waugh said, “Australia bowled better than they batted in this game…It has really about the batting. The top three.”
“Okay, we will leave Travis Head there for the moment. I do not think he’s an opener, but anyway, he is going to open. It is Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne. Those guys need runs. There is no doubt about it. I’m just wondering whether the selectors have said them to before this Test: ‘okay, you have got these two Test matches to prove your spot in the team’,” he continued.
Featured Video Of The Day
Spain’s World Cup Champions Celebrate Wildly At Cibeles Square
Topics mentioned in this article
