Australia's Selector Optimistic About Marnus Labuschagne Ahead of South Africa Tests

As Australia gears up for a pivotal Test series against South Africa, chief selector George Bailey shares his optimism regarding Marnus Labuschagne's potential to turn around his form. Despite recent struggles, Bailey believes Labuschagne can still make a significant impact. The series, starting October 9, is crucial for both teams in the World Test Championship standings. With Australia currently leading and South Africa close behind, this matchup promises to be a thrilling contest. Read on to discover more about the squad and the upcoming series schedule.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 7, 2026, 14:57 IST

Selector's Confidence in Labuschagne

Melbourne [Australia], September 7: George Bailey, the chief selector for Australian cricket, has expressed hope regarding Marnus Labuschagne's potential to perform well in the upcoming Test series against South Africa. He acknowledged that not only Labuschagne but the entire batting lineup has been underperforming.

Despite not scoring a Test century since the Ashes series in the UK in 2023, Labuschagne has retained his place in the squad for the crucial matches against South Africa, starting October 9.

In his last outing against Bangladesh, Labuschagne's scores were disappointing, with 1, 31, and 4, contributing to Australia's struggles against a formidable Bangladeshi bowling attack, which even led to a historic home defeat in Darwin.

Since his last Test century against England during the Ashes, Labuschagne's performance has dipped, averaging just 25.23 with only 959 runs in 42 innings, including nine fifties and a top score of 90.

After the squad announcement, Bailey remarked on Labuschagne's need for improvement but also expressed confidence in his ability to make a significant impact. He stated, “We are not shying away from the fact that we’d like some more runs from Marnus. That’s clear, but we’re also confident that he can still make a positive contribution to that squad.”

Bailey noted that the entire batting group has not been performing to expectations, yet they have managed to win several Test matches during this period. He emphasized the importance of scoring more runs than the opposition.

He also mentioned that Labuschagne's absence from the ODI series against South Africa could allow him to focus solely on red-ball cricket, which might be beneficial for his preparation.

Labuschagne has faced South Africa six times in four matches, scoring 148 runs at an average of 29.60, with a best score of 79 and just one fifty.

This series will be their first encounter since the World Test Championship Final at Lord's last year and is crucial for determining which teams will advance to next year's final at The Oval.

This tour marks Australia's first Test series in South Africa since the controversial 2018 series, with only five players from that tour included in the current squad.

Australia leads the World Test Championship standings, while South Africa holds the second position. The Australian team enters this series after a tied 1-1 result against Bangladesh earlier this month.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

Series schedule:

First Test: October 9-13, Durban

Second Test: October 18-22, Gqeberha

Third Test: October 27-31, Johannesburg.