EDICRIC | Cricket | Marnus Labuschagne Left Out of Australia’s CWC 2023 Squad

Marnus Labuschagne Left Out of Australia’s CWC 2023 Squad

Australia has picked their initial group of 18 players for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, set to happen in India from October 8 to November 26. This squad, which will be cut down to 15 players before the tournament, has some unexpected selections and exclusions. One significant absence is Marnus Labuschagne, who has been a successful run-scorer for Australia in Test cricket but hasn’t established himself in the shorter limited-overs matches.

Marnus Labuschagne ODI Struggles

Labuschagne’s performances in One Day Internationals (ODIs) haven’t been as strong. He started his ODI journey in 2020 against India in Mumbai, scoring 46 runs off 47 balls. He continued with two half-centuries in the next games, but afterward, he’s struggled to make a mark. In his past 10 ODI innings, he’s managed only 255 runs with an average of 25.50 and a strike rate of 77.42. His highest score was 59, and he hasn’t hit a century or a fifty in his last seven innings.

Factors Behind Marnus Labuschagne ODI Setback

His difficulties in ODIs can be attributed to various factors. One of them is his struggle to adjust to different conditions and pitches, especially in places like the subcontinent. He’s played just three ODIs there, scoring 74 runs with an average of 24.66 and a strike rate of 69.81. Another reason is his lack of strong hitting ability, which is crucial for modern-day ODI batsmen. Labuschagne has only hit two sixes and 52 fours in his ODI career, and his strike rate of 83.20 falls below the average of 88.91 for the top 10 ODI run-scorers since he started playing.

Labuschagne’s exclusion from the World Cup team also shows Australia’s preference for versatile and dynamic players who can perform well in both batting and bowling. The squad includes uncapped leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha and all-rounder Aaron Hardie. Sangha, whose roots are in India and whose dad drives a taxi in Sydney, impressed as Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the Under-19 World Cup in 2020, taking 15 wickets at an average of 15.53. Hardie, who bowls medium pace and bats lower in the order, has performed well in domestic cricket, with 146 runs at an average of 48.66 and seven wickets at an average of 24.85 in five List A matches for Western Australia.

Marnus Labuschagne’s absence from the World Cup lineup doesn’t mark the end of his ODI career. At just 29 years old, he has plenty of time to improve and return to the team. He remains a valuable asset for Australia in Test cricket, where he’s ranked fifth in the ICC batting rankings, with an average of 53.37 and 11 centuries in 43 matches. He aims to continue his strong performance in the longest format when Australia takes on Pakistan later this year in a two-Test series.