‘If you’re not scoring runs, you’re going to be under the spotlight’ – Justin Langer blunt on Marnus Labuschagne’s future

Marnus Labuschagne’s recent form has been a big source of concern for Australians. Since 2021, the former No. 1 batsman in Test cricket has averaged merely 31 in the game’s longest format. He went up the batting order to open alongside Usman Khawaja in Australia’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa last week, since the hosts wanted Cameron Green in the starting lineup. However, the seasoned right-handed batter only managed to score 17 and 22.

Former Australia opener Justin Langer believes that removing the out-of-form hitter from the squad will impede the development of future Test team batters.

“Marnus Labuschagne has played 50 Tests. He has been the finest player in the world.

He still averages 46.19. Every player goes through it. If you don’t score runs, you’ll be in the limelight. However, David Warner abruptly leaves. And then Usman Khawaja departs. Then Steve Smith. If Marnus isn’t performing well, there’s a large gap there because Travis Head bats lower down the order,” Langer told the reporters in Perth.

“So he’s a really crucial link in this chain. If I were the Australian squad, I’d be focussing – as I’m sure they are – on getting Marnus to perform well in whatever way he does,” the Lucknow Super Giants’ head coach remarked.

You can’t simply bring them into an Ashes series: Justin Langer

Langer noted how new players who have joined the Australian team in recent years have been surrounded by seasoned cricketers. He gave the example of Michael Clarke, who made his Test debut in Bengaluru in 2004, with legends such as Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, and Matthew Hayden already in the lineup.

“Think about the history of Australian cricket. The top young players enter surrounded by absolute guns. Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, and Matthew Hayden. “They come in and they’re around gun players,” Langer explained.

Langer also expressed concern about the potential of the young players joining the Australian team. He stated that young players like Sam Konstas do not average close to 50 in first-class cricket. The 54-year-old believes that selecting inexperienced young players for major assignments such as the Ashes is not a sensible decision.

“If you simply bring a couple of youngsters in, Cameron Green is still new to the game. And you’ll need to bring another child in (to replace Labuschagne). Sam Konstas has played a couple Tests, right? I believe he only has two first-class hundreds at the present. “And they were both playing the same game,” Langer observed.

“I say this with complete respect, but these young guys coming in aren’t averaging 50 (in first-class cricket). You have to smack the door down when these other guys come through. “You can’t just bring them in an Ashes series,” he said.