After a confidence-affirming century against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield for Queensland, Melbourne-born Marnus Labuschagne, who was Country batman, said his mind nowadays is simply “scoring runs” and nothing technical, while he spoke about words by the legendary Aussie Michael Hussey, which have always been with him since receiving his Test cap from Hussey back in 2018.
A few days after his 130 runs against Victoria, Labuschagne persisted in his bid to force resurrection into the national side in the upcoming Ashes series. Labuschagne hasn’t recorded a hundred in his last 49 international matches having only produced 12 half-centuries in 57 innings at an average below 30.
Even worse is his form in red-ball cricket: his most recent Test hundred came against England in July 2023, after which he has scored only 668 runs at an average of 24.74 in 16 matches and 30 innings, seven of which have been fifty-plus scores, with a top score of 90 – He was selected for the Test series against the West Indies this year, but did not get to play a single game.” Labuschagne said.
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“I felt good out there. It felt like I was reading the conditions well. I took the game on at certain times,” Labuschagne added. “I feel like I have really stripped it back and my focus is just scoring runs–it is not really too technical… just what I need out there to score runs.”
“I have learnt a lot from one of the best players in the world, my teammate Steve Smith, so having an adjustable technique and something that I can just use, rather than work out what is the exact, perfect way to play, is important.” It is just about going back to find a way to score runs, Labuschagne added.
Labuschagne has never forgotten what Hussey told him all those years ago when he was given his Test cap by the left-hander back in Dubai against Pakistan in 2018. The right-hander had a rough start, ducking and scoring 13 in his first match. Words with Hussey about pressure have stayed with Labuschagne since then; from experiencing the highest of highs, an ICC number one Test ranking, sitting out on the sidelines.
“You’re probably not under pressure as such, but certainly when you’re not scoring runs, yeah, there is certainly pressure. But that’s international cricket,” he said.
“I mean, you are not playing international cricket if you do not want to be able to deal with pressure and deal with criticism and deal with … what is in front of you. I think that is the one part that separates good cricketers and great cricketers … is the way they deal with pressure.”
“I will never forget the day Michael Hussey gave me my cap, and he literally said those words. He said, ‘The way you deal with pressure will dictate how you will go in this cap.’ And there is no truer statement. Right now, this is the perfect example of … finding your way back, and the pressure that comes with that and trying to work out how you’re going to get yourself back into that side,” he continued.
While sitting out of the team, Labuschagne described it as “exciting times,” and he is confident about forging a way back into the team before the First Ashes Test, which commences on November 21.
“I think it is an exciting time for me. It is a challenge that I have not had for … six or seven years since I joined the Australian team, and I’ve found myself probably … slightly on the outside, but I am very confident that I’ll find my way back there very soon. The benefit I have is that I know that I have done it before. I know it was not long ago that I was there playing my best cricket. So for me, it is an opportunity to sit back and take in how I am going to go about getting myself back to my best,” he concluded.
