Marnus Labuschagne to captain Queensland in Dean Jones Trophy before flying to South Africa for Test series

Marnus Labuschagne will lead Queensland in the Dean Jones Trophy, also known as the One Day Cup, before flying to South Africa for a three-match Test series. Labuschagne is struggling for form in red-ball international cricket.

He was part of Australia’s squad for the two Test series against Bangladesh at home, managing scores of 1, 31 and 4. The right-handed batter has not scored a hundred since his 111 against England at Old Trafford on July 19, 2023. He averages only 25.43 since the end of that Ashes series, and several former Australia players have voiced concern over his lack of runs.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said during the Bangladesh series that Labuschagne should have been dropped, as his drought had stretched far longer than anyone expected. However, Labuschagne remains unfazed by the criticism and believes he has only himself to blame.

“Criticism, you bring that on yourself as a player because that’s performance-based,” Labuschagne told 7News. “I’m not getting criticised because of me as a person; they are criticising my performance, which in the last two years I have let that happen. People that know me know that every single part of me is doing everything I can to get back to what my best looks like.”

The 32-year-old was recently axed from the ODI team but believes he is still the right choice at No. 3 for Australia in Test cricket.

“I still think I am the best person to bat at No. 3 for Australia. But if someone else offers a different opinion that’s up to them. That’s their point of view,” he told Code Sports.

Australia are at the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table. They have won eight and lost two of the 10 games played in the ongoing cycle. They have a points percentage (PCT) of 80.00%. The reigning WTC champions, South Africa, are second on the ladder with three wins and a loss after four games and have a PCT of 75.00%.

Australia's tour of South Africa 2026