‘There’s a reason I’m still here’: Labuschagne’s vow in fight to save career

Marnus Labuschagne is a man under siege, but insists he is not a spent force on the international stage as he fights to save his career in the Baggy Green.

As he prepares to captain Queensland in their first one-day clash of the season against Victoria on Saturday, the Test No.3 also felt he still had a role to play in Australia’s limited overs side ahead of next year’s World Cup, despite being omitted from the squads to face Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Labuschagne burst onto the scene in the Test arena and was at one stage ranked as the world’s best batsman. But his form woes over the past three years have been well documented – scoring just one century since the start of the 2023 Ashes, and averaging 26.27 since the start of that series.

Those woes continued in August’s two-Test series against Bangladesh, with scores of one and 31 in Darwin followed by a limp dismissal for four in Mackay in which he strayed across his off stump and watched the ball cannon off his thigh guard and into his pegs.

It has triggered widespread criticism and left his future in the side on shaky ground, with the likes of Australian great Ricky Ponting questioning his selection for the forthcoming three-Test series against the Proteas next month.

Labuschagne, however, stressed the chatter had not fazed him, as he vowed to right those wrongs in South Africa.

“Criticism is part of the job if you want to be an international player. You can’t be sitting here going ‘I’m upset because people are criticising me’, no one is criticising my character or my personality or who I am and what I stand for,” Labuschagne said on Friday, speaking from Allan Border Field as Queensland Cricket celebrated their 150th year.

“They’re criticising my performance, and I’m the one who’s allowed that; because of the lack of performance, I’ve opened myself up to criticism. There’s clearly a reason why I’m still there, and I think the people who are in charge know that and know what I’ve done in the past for Australia.

“How I’ve performed the past two years is clearly not my standard and where I want to be, and I’m doing everything possible to make sure I get back there during this series in South Africa.”

Labuschagne began the last domestic summer tipped to end his run of poor outputs on the biggest stage after striking two Sheffield Shield tons and four one-day centuries for the Bulls before the Ashes. But his inability to transfer that into the national colours cost him his 50-over spot.

From 23 ODI matches since the start of 2024, he has averaged just 21.88, having impressed as a middle order staple in 2023 (826 runs at 45.89).