Latest news with #MarnusLabuschagne
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Australia star dropped in test squad shake-up
Australia has dropped Marnus Labuschagne for the first Test against West Indies in Barbados. Steve Smith will also miss the match due to a dislocated finger sustained while fielding at Lord's. Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis have been brought into the batting line-up to replace Labuschagne and Smith. Labuschagne had recently opened the batting in the World Test Championship final, contributing scores of 17 and 22. Marnus Labuschagne axed by Australia after World Test Championship final defeat
New Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Australia drops Marnus Labuschagne, Smith out injured for cricket test series opener in the West Indies
BRIDGETOWN: Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped and injured Steve Smith has been ruled out of the Australia lineup for next week's series-opening cricket test against the West Indies. Cricket Australia on Friday said Smith would miss the opening match of the three-test seies because of a finger injury sustained in the World Test Championship final loss to South Africa last weekend at Lord's. He is expected to be fit for the second test against the West Indies. Chief selector George Bailey said teenage opener Sam Konstas and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis would replace Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. He said Smith needed more time for a wound to heal and he'd be reassessed after an another week. "We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus," Bailey said. "We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling test careers." The 19-year-old Konstas has only played two tests, bursting onto the scene with an almost run-a-ball 60 against India in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne last December.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Marnus Labuschagne axed by Australia after World Test Championship final defeat
Australia have dropped Marnus Labuschagne for next week's first Test against West Indies in Barbados with Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis coming into the batting line-up for the erstwhile opener and Steve Smith, who is injured. Labuschagne opened the batting in the World Test Championship final, contributing scores of 17 and 22 to Australia's cause as the defending champions lost to South Africa by five wickets. Smith dislocated his finger while fielding at Lord's, leaving a vacancy at the top of the batting order for the first match in the three-Test series in the Caribbean. "Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we'll give him another week's rest and assess his functionality after that," head selector George Bailey said in a Cricket Australia 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." Both Konstas and Inglis have played two Tests, the former opening the batting against India in Melbourne and Sydney last season and the latter batting in the middle order in Sri Lanka earlier this year. Bailey said Labuschagne's Test career could be revived if he could rediscover the form that took him to the top of the world batting rankings in 2023. "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," he said. "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." The batting order for the first Test, which starts next Wednesday, will be determined closer to the game, Cricket Australia said. Australia also face West Indies in Grenada and Jamaica on the tour.
The South African
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
AXED! Marnus Labuschagne made scapegoat for Proteas WTC defeat
Australia on Friday dropped Marnus Labuschagne for the opening match of their three-Test tour of the West Indies after a poor run of form while Steve Smith is out injured. Teenager Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis come into the starting XI for the opening match in Barbados starting on Wednesday. Labuschagne opened the batting in the World Test Championship (WTC) final loss to South Africa last week, but managed scores of only 17 and 22 on a challenging Lord's pitch. His last hundred for Australia in Test matches was in July 2023, against England at Manchester. Since then, Marnus Labuschagne has averaged 24.7 with the bat, in 16 matches. 'Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team,' chair of selectors George Bailey said. '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.' Smith injured his finger while fielding in the slips at Lord's. He left the field and did not return, watching South Africa's winning run chase from the pavilion. 'Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we'll give him another week's rest and assess his functionality after that,' Bailey said. The 19-year-old Konstas will earn his third cap for Australia, and his first since January. He made a blistering debut against India in December, blasting 60 from just 65 balls opening the batting and playing a number of audacious scoop shots against Jasprit Bumrah. Konstas managed only 53 runs in his next three innings, but the teenager's raw talent has selectors excited. Inglis will also make his third appearance in Test cricket, having made 102 on debut against Sri Lanka in January. Bailey said the batting order and final team would be determined closer to the first Test. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Afternoon Update: ADF deployed for Middle East evacuations; vandals cut Sydney train cable; and how Australia influenced a video game
Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update. Penny Wong confirmed that ADF troops have been deployed to the Middle East, emphasising that their deployment is part of an operation to evacuate Australians, and not for combat, calling the situation on the ground in Iran 'extremely unstable'. The foreign affairs minister has detailed the challenging logistics involved in evacuating the roughly 2,000 Australians in Iran, largely in part to Iranian airspace remaining closed. Wong said 'what that means is … we cannot fly aircraft in or out because of the security situation and because of the possibility of strikes'. As a workaround, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has sent a response team to Azerbaijan, the closest land crossing. Approximately 1,200 Australians in Israel are also attempting to evacuate amid fears of further escalation in the conflict between both countries. Trial reveals flaws in tech intended to enforce Australian social media ban for under-16s Malarndirri McCarthy urges states to remove hanging points from Australia's prisons Marnus Labuschagne axed as Sam Konstas returns for Australia in first West Indies Test US court allows Trump to keep control of California national guard while lawsuit proceeds Russia 'on verge of recession', Putin minister tells economic showcase 13-year-old Tekafa Piliota sits in his small classroom and dreams of becoming a doctor. 'I would like to go to Australia to study. There is higher ground in Australia, and it might be safer during natural disasters,' Piliota says. In the years to come, he could see that dream become a reality thanks to a world-first agreement creating a visa in the context of the climate crisis. 'Sydney knows through bitter experience how badly a single track failure can affect services across the network.' The NSW transport minister, John Graham, has assured residents that Sydney Trains is working as fast as possible to rectify the vandalism of a signal wire that led to train suspensions across the city. Passengers have been told to allow extra travel time and also consider using bus services instead. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Effects from the personal collection of dearly departed legendary film-maker David Lynch have gone under the hammer, much to the delight of his devotees. His beloved La Marzocco GS/3 home espresso machine went for $45,500 and his director's chair fetched $70,000, but it was the unreleased scripts that were the highest earners, with one going for $195,000. Acclaimed video game director Hideo Kojima visited Australia for a sold-out chat at the Sydney film festival with George Miller, the creator of the Mad Max film franchise. Kojima talks to the Guardian's Patrick Lum about his relationship with Miller, why his latest game, Death Stranding 2, is set in a heavily fictionalised version of Australia – and about the power of connections, as demonstrated by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Today's starter word is: ANS. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
