By Dan Walsh
A one-day average under 25 and an equally alarming strike-rate in the mid-70s have cost Marnus Labuschagne a World Cup spot, with rising youngsters Aaron Hardie and Tanveer Sangha emerging as potential tournament bolters.
Labuschagne - who ranked as the world’s No.1 Test batter until the first Ashes Test in late June - is the highest profile casualty of Australia’s preliminary 18-man World Cup squad, named on Monday alongside a T20 touring party heading to South Africa.
Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne.Credit: Reuters
Labuschagne’s one-day record has fallen well short of his heroics in the baggy green cap, with the Test No.3 averaging a tick under 25 in 15 ODI innings since the start of 2022 with a below-par strike-rate of 75 in the same period.
With Steve Smith holding down the ODI No.3 spot, Australia are already juggling what chairman of selectors George Bailey flagged as a potential rotating top-order at October’s World Cup between veteran David Warner, newly minted T20 captain Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head.
Marsh and Head flourished as an opening pair during Australia’s most recent 2-1 series triumph on Indian soil in March. Marsh’s 194 runs from 148 balls (strike-rate of 131) was the series’ best aggregate while Head’s 89 from 71 (strike-rate of 125) meant the team started each innings in rapid fashion.
Conversely, Labuschagne’s two middle-order knocks of 15 from 22 (68.18) and 28 from 45 (62.22) spoke to his recent struggles.
“We know Marnus at his best is good enough to hold down a spot in the one-day team, we just haven’t seen enough of it consistently in the role that we’d like him to do,” Bailey said.
“Marnus, the age he is, and the skill set that he has, I’ve got no doubt that he’ll play a part in one-day cricket in the future”.
Of Australia’s top-order options, Bailey said: “I’m not sure it needs to be locked and loaded away. David’s record at the top and for a long time has been phenomenal.
“I thought Mitch’s ability at the top to set the game up in India was really impressive in that last series. I like the way that he and Travis worked together … and I think David and Mitch in particular can roll through the middle and have a really good impact there as well.”
Australia will take a 14-man T20 squad to South Africa, captained by Marsh and including potential debutants Hardie, Victorian all-rounder Matt Short and South Australian left-armer Spencer Johnson, before a five-game ODI series.
Pat Cummins, who played through a fractured wrist in the last Ashes Test, will then join the tour, alongside rested big guns Warner, Mitchell Starc (who is currently recovering from a shoulder issue), Josh Hazlewood and Cameron Green, for the one-dayers in early September.
Labuschagne, meanwhile, is likely to be given white-ball game-time for an Australia A side against New Zealand A at the same time, where former Test captain Tim Paine will assist Adam Voges in his first senior coaching role for a three-game series in Queensland.
Australia travel to India in mid-September for three more ODIs before a final 15-man World Cup squad is selected ahead of an October 8 tournament-opener against the host nation in Chennai.
Tanveer Sangha has been selected in the Australian ODI squad.Credit: Getty Images
Sangha’s call-up as a third spinning option comes after a year-long absence from cricket due to back stress fractures.
His inclusion in the final World Cup squad would seem unlikely given Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar are seasoned limited overs exponents, though spinning sub-continent conditions could still keep the rising New South Welshman in contention.
“[Sangha] has been on our radar for a long time,” Bailey said.
“The common comment around Tanveer is that he’s very mature on the field and a great thinker about how he goes about it.
“He had an unfortunate injury last year which meant that he lost a bit of game time, but it’s great that he’s back fit and available to play, and looking forward to him getting some opportunities on this tour as well.”
Hardie’s inclusion comes with a similar nod to the 24-year-old’s undoubted potential having averaged more than 42 with the bat and less than 30 with the ball in 26 first-class games for Western Australia.
Australian ODI squad: Pat Cummins (NSW) (c), Sean Abbott (NSW), Ashton Agar (WA), Alex Carey (SA), Nathan Ellis (TAS), Cameron Green (WA), Aaron Hardie (WA), Josh Hazlewood (NSW), Travis Head (SA), Josh Inglis (WA), Mitchell Marsh (WA), Glenn Maxwell (VIC), Tanveer Sangha (NSW), Steve Smith (NSW), Mitchell Starc (NSW), Marcus Stoinis (WA), David Warner (NSW), Adam Zampa (NSW)
Australian T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (WA) (c) Sean Abbott (NSW), Jason Behrendorff (WA), Tim David (WA), Nathan Ellis (TAS), Aaron Hardie (WA), Travis Head (SA), Josh Inglis (WA), Spencer Johnson (SA), Glenn Maxwell (VIC), Matt Short (VIC), Steve Smith (NSW), Marcus Stoinis (WA), Adam Zampa (NSW)
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