Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that underperforming Marnus Labuschagne could benefit from some time away from the spotlight following his Test axing, adding that Australia’s batting looks “very vulnerable” ahead of the Ashes.
On Friday morning, Cricket Australia confirmed that Labuschagne had been dropped for Australia’s series opener against the West Indies in Barbados, with teenage opener Sam Konstas and reserve wicketkeeper recalled to the starting XI.
The Queenslander scored 974 runs at 27.82 during the recent World Test Championship cycle, with just one century in 38 innings. He hasn’t reached triple figures in his 30 most recent Test knocks.
West Indies vs Australia Test & T20I Series | Watch every ball LIVE with ESPN, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer >
Speaking to Fox Cricket ahead of Labuschagne’s axing, Vaughan called for the 30-year-old to miss selection for the Caribbean tour, suggesting that it could reinvigorate his Test career.
“Marnus might just need a breather,” Vaughan said.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing in someone’s career when they get taken out of the side for two or three games. It shouldn’t be seen as the end of your career and you’re never going to get a slot back.
“Sometimes a player needs to be taken out of the firing line. Maybe it’s that time when Marnus just needs a little bit of a breather. He can step back and work it out away from the blaring eyes.”
Over the last couple of years, Labuschagne has been guilty of repeatedly fishing outside off stump and edging towards the slips cordon. He was caught behind in both innings of last week’s World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s, dismissed by seamer Marco Jansen after tentatively pressing at wide deliveries he could have left alone.
“He’s a brilliant player, he’s just going through a period where he’s probably playing for survival rather than really looking to score runs,” Vaughan continued.
“He’s probably scared of playing shots in case he gets out. And he gets out playing the timid shot, rather than an aggressive stroke.”
Inglis, who cracked a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka in February, has been a regular member of Australia’s white-ball sides over the last 24 months. The West Australian smacked a matchwinning century against England during the recent Champions Trophy campaign, while last year he blasted the fastest T20I hundred by an Australian, achieving the feat against Scotland.
However, Inglis was dropped for the World Test Championship final to accommodate the long-awaited return of Cameron Green.
“Inglis looks like a player that, if I was Australia, I’d be getting him in,” Vaughan said.
“He’s got something. You saw him playing against Sri Lanka, you can see he’s clearly got that little bit of mentality, and he has no baggage. I think having players that come into a side that can really play without any package is such a dangerous mindset to have.”
Since the retirement of veteran opener David Warner, Australia has on several occasions attempted to fill the vacancy at the top of the order with middle-order batters – Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head and Nathan McSweeney have each faced the new ball in the Test arena over the past 18 months, with mixed results.
However, Vaughan cautioned against pushing middle-order batters into the top three, specifically criticising Australia’s decision to promote Green to first drop for the World Test Championship final.
“There’s been times in Test cricket where people have moved from the middle into the opening slot, and it’s worked. Justin Langer, I guess, is the perfect example,” Vaughan said.
“But I’m a big believer that Test match openers are more. They’ve done it all their life. That opening burst should be players that have done it all their life. It’s such a specialist skill.
“Putting square pegs in round holes. It might work for a short period, but long term, very rarely does that work.
“Whatever the conditions, you go out there with your opening partnership.”
He continued: “A lot of teams are manoeuvring their batting line-ups and trying funky ideas, but I’m pretty traditionalist. The top three in Test match cricket, they’ve got to be able to play properly. You don’t get away with it often.”
Defending champions Australia lost the World Test Championship final by five wickets after South Africa’s pace attack ripped through the top order in both innings.
Vaughan confessed that Australia’s batters looked “vulnerable” ahead of the marquee Ashes series on home soil, arguing they will continue to be exposed by bowlers that generate lateral movement.
“If you can get lateral movement at 83 to 85 (mph), I think you’ll bowl Australia out. I saw that in the World Test Championship final,” he said.
“This is an Australian batting line-up that looks very dangerous, but it’s also very vulnerable. On paper they’re not bad, but if the ball moves around with the way they all throw their hands at the ball … if we’re honest, there are only two or three players that can play forward defences properly.
“If you can challenge the forward defence with a bit of lateral movement, it’s no surprise you see clusters of wickets fall when the ball is moving around a bit, because not many of them have the basics of playing forward defence and seeing the ball off. That’s the modern game.”
The first Test between the West Indies and Australia gets underway at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval on Thursday at 12am AEST. Every ball of the Caribbean tour will be available live on Kayo Sports via ESPN.
