Marnus Labuschagne is facing the axe from the Australia Test team after their 2-1 series defeat in South Africa, with head coach Andrew McDonald saying “he hasn’t taken his opportunity on this tour”.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had branded Labuschagne’s spot as “untenable” after a lean return at home to Bangladesh left him without a Test century in 43 innings, stretching back to the 2023 Ashes in England.
That has now extended to 49 innings after he signed off the South Africa series, in which he averaged 21.83, with scores of 0 and 4 as Australia lost the series-deciding Test in Cape Town.
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Highlights from day five of the series-deciding third Test between South Africa and Australia as the Proteas won by 176 runs to go top of the rankings.
“We believed in Marnus for this tour, we’ll have to reassess that as we move forward,” McDonald said.
“There’s still a very good cricketer there. Every time he drops back to state level, he outperforms the others. But he hasn’t taken his opportunity on this tour.”
Australia have faced some fierce criticism for the way they lost the series in South Africa, with an innings defeat in the second Test followed by a 176-run drubbing in the third – the Proteas knocking them off the No 1 spot in the Test rankings as a result.
Australia collapsed to a heavy defeat on the final day in Cape Town to lose the series and their No 1 Test ranking to South Africa
Set 288 on the final day in Cape Town, Pat Cummins’ side were 60-7 by lunch as they were ultimately bowled out for 111 in a timid display, which former opener David Warner branded “disgraceful” and “un-Australian”.
McDonald, though, backed his players, telling reporters: “It’s still a very good cricket team with a lot of very good players in there.
“Some are legends of the game, or down the path they will be acknowledged as legends of the game. So we’ve got to balance that out with who comes in, what the next decisions are.”
He added: “In the emotion of the current situation, my answer would be we’ve underachieved here.
“I think people put a lot of sort of premium on the key series, and that’s ultimately where you are judged. We understand that, we realise that.”
Australia much-changed for England white-ball series
Australia’s defeat at Newlands was their third in five Tests, jeopardising their campaign to reach a third-straight World Test Championship final next year.
They next host a four-Test series against New Zealand in December and January, which is followed by a trip to India to play a five-match series. They visit England next summer for the 2027 Ashes.
Before any of that, they host England for three one-day internationals and five T20Is in November and December, with Australia naming a much-changed squad.
Matt Renshaw impressed for Australia in South Africa, averaging 61.50 and hitting 190 in the first-Test win in Durban
Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly are the only players from the South Africa Test series that feature in the ODI squad. None will play in the T20s.
Front-line pace bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Test captain Cummins are being rested. Mitch Marsh will captain both white-ball squads.
The ODI series begins in Perth on November 13, with further matches in Adelaide and Hobart. There will be five T20 clashes in Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra in late November and early December.
Australia ODI squad vs England: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Ollie Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Liam Scott, Adam Zampa
Australia T20I squad vs England: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Joel Davies, Jack Edwards, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Owen, Lachlan Shaw, Adam Zampa
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