Breaking Marnus Test Fate: Labuschagne Out for NZ Opener
Australia chair of selectors George Bailey said Marnus Labuschagne will not be considered for the first Test against New Zealand in Perth on December 9. Labuschagne returns to Queensland's Sheffield Shield side after a poor tour of South Africa.
Australia chair of selectors George Bailey said on Monday, November 9, 2026, that Marnus Labuschagne will not be considered for the first Test against New Zealand next month. It settles the breaking Marnus Test fate question and leaves Australia needing a new No.3.
Bailey told media the decision followed Labuschagne's poor tour of South Africa. The batter will return to Queensland's Sheffield Shield side for an extended run at domestic level.
"At this stage we won't be considering Marn for selection for certainly that first Test, but for the New Zealand series," Bailey said.
He said the move gives Labuschagne "a little bit of space" and clears up "a bit of conjecture" while the next round of Shield cricket is played.
A poor series in South Africa
Labuschagne made 131 runs at 21.83 against the Proteas. He finished the series with scores of 0 and 4 in the deciding Test in Cape Town.
In the first innings at Newlands he edged Simon Harmer to slip for a fifth-ball duck. On the final day he outside-edged a low full toss from Kagiso Rabada for four, then was out lbw leaving two balls later.
Earlier, in Gqeberha, he holed out into the wind after Australia was asked to follow on and needed to bat for a little more than four sessions to salvage a draw.
Australia lost the series 2-1.
Long run without a big score
The 32-year-old has not scored a Test hundred since the 2023 Ashes, a gap of 49 innings. He has not made a half-century in his past 16 Test innings, dating to the first innings of the Gabba Test in last summer's Ashes.
Since being recalled for that Ashes, he has averaged 23.66 in 10 Tests, with two fifties from 19 innings. He was dropped from the side, though kept in the squad, during last year's tour of the Caribbean.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said during the Top End series against Bangladesh in August that Labuschagne's spot was "untenable".
Australian coach Andrew McDonald said the team backed him for South Africa. "We believed in Marnus for this tour, we'll have to reassess that as we move forward," McDonald said.
"There's still a very good cricketer there. Every time he drops back to state level, he outperforms the others. But he hasn't taken his opportunity on this tour."
Door not closed
Bailey did not rule out a return if Labuschagne scores heavily for Queensland. "It's still possible, absolutely," he said.
He said the batter had missed chances to turn promising starts into big scores, in Darwin and in South Africa. "But I don't think we've ever ruled anyone out permanently ... and that's no different in this case," Bailey said.
Selectors will name the Test squad to face the Black Caps at Perth's Optus Stadium on December 9. That will happen at the end of the next round of Sheffield Shield matches, which begin on Wednesday.
