Labuschagne Dropped as Australia Names ODI Squad for African Series

Marnus Labuschagne, a World Cup winner and long-time member of Australia’s one-day team, has been dropped from the squad for the upcoming African tour.

The 32-year-old scored a half-century in Australia’s 2023 World Cup final victory over India in Ahmedabad. Since then, however, his struggles have contributed to his omission, with the next World Cup less than a year away and scheduled for South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Labuschagne has missed only five of Australia’s previous 56 ODIs. He was nevertheless left out alongside Matt Short, Ben Dwarshuis, Todd Murphy and Liam Scott, who had been selected for the team’s May and June matches in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will feature in the matches against South Africa. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head return after missing the Pakistan and Bangladesh matches, while emerging players Cooper Connolly, Oliver Peake and Joel Davies join the squad.

Australia will play back-to-back ODI series against Zimbabwe and South Africa later this month, followed by a Test series against South Africa. Cummins and Starc are listed for the South African leg only.