Australia batter Travis Head has thrown his support behind Marnus Labuschagne after the former No. 3 batter was dropped from the Test squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies, insisting it won’t be long before the right-hander is back in the mix.
Labuschagne, who was the world’s top-ranked Test batter just two years ago, has been axed from the top order after a lean 12-month period where he averaged just 27.82. The decision to omit Marnus Labuschagne—confirmed by chief selector George Bailey—marks one of the most significant calls since Bailey took charge in 2021.
“He will grind away,” Head said ahead of Australia’s series opener in Barbados.
“He grinded yesterday after training. He will hit balls and work on his game. There is no doubt he will be back in international cricket. Everyone has been through it. He will go about his thing. He will get better, and let’s hope for a better, stronger Marnus when he comes back.”
Labuschagne’s recent dip in form culminated in modest returns of 17 and 22 in the World Test Championship final against South Africa, where he was pushed up to open the innings – a move that failed to pay off.
Australia have opted for youth, with 20-year-old Sam Konstas set to make his debut in Labuschagne’s place. Despite the shake-up at the top, Head brushed aside concerns about inexperience, pointing instead to the resilience within the group and the importance of moving on quickly.
“There’s added motivation to go out there and play well,” Head said, reflecting on the loss to South Africa at Lord’s.
“We didn’t play well, and it’s unfortunate. We put two years of hard work into one week and it didn’t quite go to plan. The opposition played really well. So there’s another motivation.”
With the new World Test Championship cycle beginning this week, Head urged the side to refocus.
“We’ve got two more years to build. This is the first look at it. If you dwell on the loss for too long, you forget about what’s moving forward,” he said.
“As hard as it is, we play so much cricket. Of course, we care and of course it’s not ideal, but at the end of the day, you can’t change it. You have to move on, get back on the horse, and play good cricket.”
Australia begin their three-match series against the West Indies on Wednesday in Barbados.
