"We know he is a quality player...": Bailey hails Labuschagne's hot streak in domestic cricket

Melbourne [Australia], October 18 (ANI): Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey lauded out-of-favour batter Marnus Labuschagne's brilliant run of form in domestic cricket, saying that it has been pleasing to witness him putting up runs for his state.
Bailey lauded Labuschagne's "intent, movement and partnership-building" during his recent Sheffield Shield ton for Queensland against South Australia.
While speculation over his future with the Australian side and batting spot continues, Labuschagne, who did not play any matches during the West Indies Test tour, has been plundering runs in domestic cricket across both the One-Day Cup and Sheffield Shield. The right-hander has scored four centuries in the past six innings, crossing the 150-run mark twice and averaging a massive 95.66.
While Bailey did not guarantee that these performances will earn Labuschagne a return to the national side, he has been impressed by what he has witnessed from the classy right-hander so far, who is regarded as the side's second-most premier Test batter after legendary Steve Smith.
"I thought out of everything that he has played, I really liked the innings in Adelaide. I liked the intent, the movement, and the way he built the partnerships. It is a nice bowling attack South Australia has got, so he's batting nicely. We know he is a quality player. We know there is a hell of a lot of class there," Bailey said, according to ESPNCricinfo.
"To see him putting the runs up that has been really pleasing. And long may it continue," he added.
Having not registered even a half-century in his last 10 ODI innings and scoring just 138 runs with a best score of 47, Labuschagne was dropped from the ODI squad for three matches at home against India from October 19, but was recalled after Cameron Green's injury ruled him out.
Labuschagne is without a century in his past 49 international matches, having scored just 12 fifties in 57 innings at an average of less than 30.
His form has been even worse in red-ball cricket, with his last Test century coming against England back in July 2023. Since then, he has been able to muster just 668 runs in 16 matches and 30 innings at an average of 24.74, with seven fifties and a best score of 90. While he was selected for the West Indies tour this year for the Test matches, he did not get to play a single match.
With the first ball of the home Ashes to be bowled on November 21 at Perth, Labuschagne would be aiming to continue with his domestic grind, score a truckload of runs to earn back his place in the team. (ANI)