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Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey confirmed on Monday, November 9, that Marnus Labuschagne will not be considered for selection in any part
of the upcoming four-Test home series against New Zealand. The first Test begins on December 9 in Perth.
Bailey made the announcement ahead of the fourth round of the Sheffield Shield, which starts on Wednesday, November 12, with selectors due to name the squad for the opening Test shortly after. He said he wanted to remove the uncertainty hanging over Labuschagne's position before that Shield round got underway.
"We won't be considering Marn for selection certainly for that first Test, but [also] for the New Zealand series. And the reason I just wanted to clear that up today is I think there's going to be or has been a lot of speculation around his place in the team," Bailey said, as quoted by Cricinfo.
Since returning to the Australian Test side for the 2025 Ashes, Labuschagne has averaged 23.66 across ten Tests and has managed a half-century in 16 innings without converting any of them into a hundred. His last century came in 2023 against England at Old Trafford. Labuschagne has played 68 Tests in total and was once ranked the world's top Test batter, but he now sits 40th in the ICC Test batting rankings. His highest score during the recent series in South Africa was 39, and he averaged 21.83 across six innings.
This is the second time in 17 months that Labuschagne has been dropped from the Test squad. When he was left out in 2025, he responded by scoring five centuries in ten domestic innings for Queensland across two formats before being recalled for the Ashes, only to struggle again at Test level. Bailey acknowledged that challenge openly, admitting the selectors would find it difficult to recall Labuschagne purely on domestic form given that prolific Shield output did not translate when he returned to the international stage.
"He's always been an incredible performer at first-class level. So I expect that that'll be the case [again]. So yeah, there's no message to go back and do anything in particular. I mean, I think the currency is pretty obvious, but he's had a long run in that role, albeit with the gap during that West Indies series and post that back at domestic cricket. So for him, I think the plan is just to go back and focus on playing as well as he can for Queensland for a period of time," Bailey said.
What does Bailey's statement establish for Labuschagne's immediate future?
Bailey's announcement effectively rules Labuschagne out of all four Tests against New Zealand and removes any ambiguity about his status for the home summer. The selector indicated that Labuschagne could still work his way back into contention for Australia's tours of India and England in 2027, but no guarantee was offered. Bailey was candid about the difficulty of using Shield cricket as a reliable measure for Labuschagne's readiness.
"But I don't like the idea of a bat-off or a bowl-off in a one-off game, so I don't think it'll necessarily move the dial an enormous amount, but it certainly still has the potential to," he said.
Which players are available for the New Zealand Test squad?
Bailey added that the selectors were close to finalising a squad expected to contain 14 names, with the fourth round of the Sheffield Shield still offering a final opportunity to influence those decisions. Steven Smith is expected to be available for the first Test on November 22, provided he receives medical clearance following the neck injury that curtailed his South Africa tour. Travis Head has been given a break from the ODI series against England and will not play in the Shield match before the New Zealand series, while Matt Renshaw is set to feature in that round.
"We've got some thoughts around what that squad is starting to look like as it is, but it's nice to be in a position where I still think there's some great opportunities for players coming up," Bailey said.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will sit out the next two rounds of Shield cricket. Nathan Lyon is available for round four, and Beau Webster, Matt Kuhnemann and Michael Neser are also in contention. Among those set to play in round five are Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly, Alex Carey and Smith, while Scott Boland's availability for round five is confirmed. The selectors will assess all of those players before naming the final 14 for the opening Test against New Zealand in Perth.
