Luck favors the brave, and this term is most suitable for Australian middle-order batter Marnus Labuschagne. After being dropped from the World Cup squad, Laubuschagne is back in the WC scheme of things as Travis Head is ruled out of the first half of the World Cup due to a fracture on his left hand. Labuschagne has shown enough form in the recent five-match ODI series against South Africa and is set to be part of the showpiece event.
However, all is not bad for Head, as Australia head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the southpaw won’t require surgery on his left hand.
“The timeframe is still a bit loose at the moment but the good news is he doesn’t require surgery as it sits at the moment,” McDonald said from Johannesburg of Head to Cricket Australia.
“There will be an extended period of time out, and we’ve just got to weigh up whether that time (out) falls with an option to carry him through the front half of the World Cup.
“There’s no doubt he won’t be available for the front half, so that’s a decision we’ll have to make for the final 15(-player squad). But I can’t give you an exact time frame.”
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For the uninitiated, Labuschagne was Australia’s highest run scorer in the ODI series against South Africa, scoring 283 runs at an average of 70.33. The 29-year-old also has the experience of playing in the sub-continent conditions. Another major advantage the South African-born star has is the one of the better players of spin.
Labuschagne can also drop anchor, just like Joe Root and Kohli. McDonald also hinted that the 29-year-old is likely to be the replacement for Head.
“I can’t talk on behalf of the selection panel and lock him away in the World Cup 15, but it’s no doubt looking likely,” McDonald said of Labuschagne’s World Cup hopes.
“He’s made a significant shift in his intent at the crease and putting the bowlers under pressure (more) than he was potentially 12 months ago. He’s struck at around 100 strike rate in this series.
Labuschagne has so far played 35 ODIs and so far scored 1130 runs at an average of 36.45.
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