Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped for Australia’s first Test against the West Indies, with opener Sam Konstas and reserve wicketkeeper Josh Inglis recalled for the series opener in Bridgetown.
On Friday morning, Cricket Australia confirmed that vice-captain Steve Smith would miss the first Test due to the thumb injury he sustained during last week’s World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s – but he could return for the second Test at St George’s.
Inglis and Konstas are expected to replace Labuschagne and Smith in the starting XI, but the final team will be determined closer to the game.
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“Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we’ll give him another week’s rest and assess his functionality after that,” chief selector George Bailey said in a statement.
“We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers.
“In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition.
“Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team. He understands his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects.
“We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively.”
More to come …
