- He has been criticized for his poor form
- Scored 2 and 3 against India in first Test loss
- He has returned to his roots to find his best touch
EXCLUSIVE
A pact with his youth cricket club could be the key to unlocking Marnus Labuschagne as the Australian Test cricket star desperately tries to find form ahead of the second Test against India.
The Australian star batsman has suffered a slump in form at the worst possible time against the Indian powerhouse, scoring just 123 runs in his last 10 innings at an average of just 13.67.
That included scores of just 2 and 3 in the first Test, where the Australians were defeated in Perth, drawing heavy criticism from Australian cricket fans.
At times in Perth, Labuschagne seemed unsure and nervous.
So, to find his best form and clear his head, he returned to his junior cricket club Redlands, just south of Brisbane, for a long nets session on Thursday.
Club president Sean Lloyd has known Labuschagne since he was a child and told Daily Mail Australia he had given the Test star a key to the nets so he could come to training whenever he wanted.
Marnus Labuschagne bats in the nets at Redlands Cricket Club before the second test
Australia’s star batsman is desperate to regain form after a poor performance in the first Test against India.
“The door is always open for Marnus,” he said.
‘He is open to using the Redlands facilities, as he has been since becoming a Test batsman to come and use at any time.
“He has the key to the networks, he could be there and we wouldn’t even know.”
‘It’s part of who we are, hugging our teammates.
‘Him, other state players who play for the Bulls and BBL franchises, all players have access to our networks.
‘Without that, they wouldn’t be who they are. “We are a very bold and supportive cricket club.”
Labuschagne reconnected with old friends who were happy to provide takedowns in the long net session, with the enigmatic Australian smiling and returning to his best frame of mind out of the gaze of the Australian public.
Lloyd said it was nothing unusual for Labuschagne or the club, with the Australian star often returning to his roots for long training sessions.
Labuschagne batted for hours while former Redlands teammates made tackles
Labuschagne is a familiar face at Redlands and regularly returns to the club where he played his junior cricket.
“Him wanting to hit 1,000 balls is a nice afternoon for him,” he said.
‘Marnus’ training sessions can vary from a couple of hours to longer periods.
“For who he is, he works very hard, so it wouldn’t have been a short session.”
Labuschagne has perhaps unfairly fallen victim to criticism from fans after the first Test knock, with some even calling for him to be returned to the Sheffield Shield to try and find runs.
But Lloyd said time away from the national team and the public eye would help unlock the superstar batsman and backed him to regain his best form in the second Test in Adelaide.
“Since he was a child he has always been a champion,” he said.
‘He has found ways to overcome adversity and always comes out on top.
“He will be part of the Australian cricket fraternity for a long time, it was just a minor hiccup in a game.”
“It takes all the noise out of your head, the last thing you need right now is people asking you a lot of questions,” he said.
“He needs to find it within himself, answer his own questions and get back to the top.”
Labuschagne himself spoke briefly to the media after the session and said that returning home was part of his usual preparation whenever he found time.
“It’s always difficult to lose a game for Australia and not score runs,” he said.
‘That’s your job as a batsman. You have to score runs. I have to score runs. If I don’t do that, we won’t win the trials. That’s never good, is it?
“It’s no different to my normal preparation: I always try to find the right rhythm.”