Marnus Labuschagne has been omitted from Australia's squad for their upcoming home Test assignment against New Zealand, according to reports from icc-cricket.com and thestar.com.my. Despite this exclusion, the batter maintains belief that he can force his way back into the national setup.
The decision followed a difficult three-match Test tour in South Africa, where Labuschagne managed only 131 runs across his visits to the crease. Over those matches, he recorded a modest average of 21.83, failing to cross his top mark of 39.
Form slump and recent statistics
Labuschagne's extended drought without a three-figure score stretches back to the 2023 Ashes, when he compiled a century against England at Old Trafford. Since registering that milestone, his output across the format stands at 1,094 runs scored at an average of 24.31.
In the World Test Championship Final, the batter registered scores of 17 and 22 across his two innings. During both batting turns, he fell caught behind by Kyle Verreynne off the bowling of Marco Jansen. These recent performances have seen Labuschagne slip to joint 40th position in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings.
Domestic blueprint and Test pedigree
Across his full international career, Labuschagne holds a prominent record across 68 Test appearances. He has accumulated 4,861 runs while maintaining a healthy average of 42.64, a tally highlighted by 11 centuries and 25 fifties.
A previous omission in 2025 provides Labuschagne with a proven path back into the national team. On that occasion, he responded strongly in the Sheffield Shield by compiling consecutive domestic hundreds, striking 160 against Tasmania followed by 159 against South Australia. Those innings earned him an immediate recall for the opening match of the 2025-26 Ashes campaign staged in Perth.
Labuschagne draws assurance from that domestic turnaround as he shifts his focus toward immediate commitments with Queensland, with Australia scheduled to open their four-match home series against New Zealand in Perth on December 9.