Marnus Labuschagne flew into Perth late on Saturday night after an ODI call-up to replace Cameron Green, but it is his place in Australia’s Ashes plan that is of most interest.
Labuschagne made some interesting comments on Fox Cricket during a great chat with Kath Loughnan amid showers that don’t look like abating any time soon.
Opener or No.3? What’s his preference if given the nod for Australia? (Mark Waugh believes he’s a “certainty”).
Marnus Labuschagne has started the summer as Australia’s most in-form batsman.Credit: Getty Images
“Wherever the selectors and the coach put me, that’s where I will be batting,” he said. “I’ve batted my whole career for Australia at No.3, so yeah, there’s nothing more to be said.”
Read into that what you like. It certainly doesn’t scream ‘I want to open’. Quick fact check there. Labuschagne has actually batted in every position in the Australian order from No.1 to No.7.
However, 89 of his 104 innings have been at No.3 (3956 runs at 48.83). He also opened in the World Test Championship final this year.
Labuschagne’s last six scores for Queensland (both formats): 130, 2, 160, 105, 159 and 18.
“It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. I just wanted to be playing cricket the way I wanted and play with that freedom.
“It was probably more mental. There are a few technical things I’ve ironed out. It was more getting probably too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of playing with what I’ve got.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to get out of your own mind and just get back out there and score runs. Coming into this summer, runs was going to be the currency.
“That was probably the big focus point – it doesn’t matter how you score them or what it looks like. Find a way to score runs.
“It’s probably a nice reminder after struggling for a couple of years that you’ve still got it and it doesn’t matter how many runs you’ve scored, when you don’t score runs for a while, those doubts creep in.”