Australian star batsman Marnus Labuschagne cleared the air that he is not disappointed about not being named as the next Australia captain. Tim Paine had to step down from the Australian captaincy just weeks before the start of the Ashes series due to allegedly being involved in a sexting scandal.
Amidst all the frenzy and confusion around the issue, Cricket Australia decided to appoint star pacer Pat Cummins as the new captain and Steve Smith as his deputy. There were rumours of Marnus Labuschagne being appointed as the captain, but the batsman was content with the appointment of Cummins and Smith as a part of the leadership group.
Here is what Marnus Labudchagne had to say about the appointment of Cummins and Smith: “No, I wasn’t disappointed. I think there are two very good leaders and very good candidates. Cummins is going to do a fabulous job, and he’s got plenty of support with Steve as his vice-captain and all the senior players of the group.”
My job is to score consistently for Australia: Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus Labudchagne has had a stunning Test career so far. In just 18 Tests, he has scored a staggering 1885 runs at a brilliant average of 60.80. Having had an impact in the 2019 Ashes that Australia ended up retaining, Labuschagne is keen to dish out a similar performance, this time on home soil.
Labuschagne believes that just because he is not a captain doesn’t mean he is not an important part of the side. He still thinks he will be of great help to Cummins and Smith if he is asked for input. But he also understands that his main job is to post a mountain of runs consistently for Australia.
Speaking about his role in the team, Marnus Labuschagne stated: “My job right now is to concentrate on scoring runs consistently for Australia, and I’m happy for that to be my role for now. You don’t need the title to still be a leader in the group. The target is on your back now that you’re scoring runs and that you’re the main part of that team.”
England will be wary about the fact that Australia have an inexperienced captain in Pat Cummins, and they will be keen to take full advantage of it. England’s batting has been on the weaker side, and Australia would know that Joe Root’s wicket will hold the key. If they are able to find inroads, England will have a task on their hands to win the Ashes on Australian soil.
