Bloemfontein: Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne issued a timely reminder to the selectors with his Player of the Match performance against South Africa, coming as a substitute player, after her mother correctly predicted that her son would play in first ODI against the Proteas.
Labuschagne, who was surprisingly left out of Australia’s World Cup squad earlier this month, but got a chance to show his wares when he came in as a concussion substitute, replacing Cameron Green, and played a match-winning knock of 80 off 93 to guide his side to victory.
Green was hit behind the left ear when he went on to duck Kagiso Rabada’s 140kph-plus ball which angled in from the off stump. Cricket Australia confirmed he had a precautionary scan and will now enter an eight-day concussion protocol where he will be monitored daily by the medical staff.
“She stayed for the whole game … she was adamant when I came here that I was going to play this game and I told her ‘I’ve seen the team, mum, I’m not in the team’. She just had a feeling, and once again she’s right,” Labuschagne said after the match as quoted by cricket.com.au.
The 29-year-old was initially preparing for the 50-over matches against New Zealand A in Queensland, which starts this week. However, he got a call-up as a replacement for Steven Smit, who suffered a wrist tendon injury, as cover of the South Africa series.
“It comes (down) to your training, I always pride myself on training well, and making sure I’m always ready. The opportunity that happens when you’re a concussion sub is sometimes a little bit of a free hit because the pressure of the game is out there but obviously the expectation is probably not as much on you,” he said.
While Labuschagne is still hoping he can play a part in Australia’s World Cup campaign in India, he knows a lack of runs in 50-over cricket gave selectors no option but to leave him out of their initial plans.
“I have been really disappointed with how I’ve played my one-day cricket, the last 10 to 12 games I felt like I haven’t shown the intensity and the courage that I would have liked.
“I wasn’t too shocked when I when I was dropped, I said that to the selectors (that) ‘I understand, I haven’t made runs’. When I came back from the Ashes, I went back to the drawing board and really thought about what I wanted to improve in my one-day game.
“I still want to be that person batting in the middle-order, and you’ve just got to sit tight and wait for your opportunity and when it comes, you’ve got to be ready,” Labuschagne said.
–IANS