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PlayersI will be back: Marnus Labuschagne confident of Australia comeback after New Zealand snub
Dropped from Australia’s squad for the New Zealand Tests after a poor run, Labuschagne says he will use the break to regain form with Queensland.
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Despite being dropped from the squad twice in the last 17 months, Marnus Labuschagne is confident that his Test career is far from over. The Australian selectors, led by George Bailey, omitted the former ICC number one Test batter from the squad for the four-match series against New Zealand in December. The decision came after a disappointing outing in South Africa, where Labuschagne managed just 131 runs in six innings at an average of 21.83.
Speaking to reporters in Brisbane, Labuschagne said he would use his time away from international cricket to rediscover his form rather than view the omission as a setback. “I (will) use this as an opportunity to step back from the scrutiny and being under the pump for two years now and come back and play for Queensland.”
A previous comeback fuels Labuschagne's confidence
Labuschagne believes he will once again find ways to score runs and earn a return to the international arena. He was also dropped in 2025, during the three-match Test series against the West Indies, but bounced back through domestic cricket to reclaim his place. During his absence from the Test squad, Labuschagne had scored 160 against Tasmania and 159 against South Australia in consecutive Sheffield Shield matches before returning for the Ashes opener in Perth.
“(I want to) find ways to win games for Queensland, score runs and enjoy the game, and I think my path back into the Australian team will work itself out. I've done it before. It's something that I truly want. I've got no doubt I will be back there. When? Who knows,” said Labuschagne.
Pressure and the struggle to convert starts
Labuschagne has gone 49 consecutive Test innings without a century. The last time he crossed the three-figure mark was in 2023, when he scored 111 against England in Manchester. During this period, he has managed 1094 runs at an average of just 24.31. Alarmingly, he has scored over 30 in six of his last 11 innings, suggesting that he has been getting starts but failing to convert them into substantial scores.
Labuschagne believes his struggles go beyond a lack of batting form. The pressure to retain his place in the team has contributed to mistakes even after he has settled at the crease.
“(Six) scores above 30 in 11 innings is not someone who's not batting well. It's someone that's making mistakes when they're in, and a lot of those mistakes potentially coming from the pressure of having to keep scoring runs and being on the verge of losing my spot.”
During the final Test of the South Africa series, Labuschagne scored 0 and 4 in Cape Town. In the second innings, he was dismissed while shouldering arms to an incoming delivery from Kagiso Rabada, an example of the indecision creeping into his batting. He explained that uncertainty over his role and his inability to find runs had affected his decision-making.
“Some of those dismissals (in South Africa) feel like they've come from a lack of clarity on potentially what the team needed and my own personal battle with scoring runs and missing out.”
Labuschagne has an immediate chance to prove to the selectors that he still belongs at the highest level. He will captain Queensland against Sheffield Shield leaders Tasmania at the Gabba on Wednesday. Queensland will then face New South Wales at the SCG and Victoria at the MCG before the Big Bash break.
“I'm here to win games for Queensland, and score runs. And if I do that, if I'm playing at my best, I'll find my way back into that team. They're the things that I'm pretty confident about.”
