Mark Taylor calls for Marnus Labuschagne to make 15,000km move after Test axing
Aussie cricket great Mark Taylor hopes the axing of Marnus Labuschagne signals a more ruthless approach from selectors and believes the veteran batter should make the 15,000km trip back home from the Caribbean. Labuschagne paid the price for an alarming form slump over the last two years, with the 30-year-old dropped for this week's first Test against the West Indies, in Barbados.
Teenage opener Sam Konstas returns to the starting XI after starring in the India series victory and will likely take Labuschagne's spot at opener. While Josh Inglis has also earned a Test recall at the expense of Steve Smith, who dislocated his finger in the WTC final loss to South Africa at Lord's.
Labuchagne has remained with the squad in the Caribbean but Taylor believes it would be better for him to return home to Australia to have a 'refresh' and focus on returning for the Ashes series at the end of the year. "Come back, have a bit of time off from the game, just refresh. That wouldn't be a bad thing. Get ready for the Australian summer," the former Australia captain told Wide World of Sports.
Taylor hopes Labuchagne's axing signals a 'tougher' approach from the Aussie selectors, who've had a long history of persisting with out-of-form veterans. The writing had been on the wall for Labuschagne for some time, with his last Test century coming in the 2023 Ashes series in England.
Having previously been the world's No.1-ranked Test batter, Labuschagne has only averaged 27.82 in the past 12 months. And after struggling with the bat in Test series against India and Sri Lanka this year, as well as the WTC final, his average in 2025 has plummeted to just 16.16, leaving selectors with little option but to axe him.
Considered among the best Test batters in the world, Marnus Labuschagne now finds himself out of the Australia team.How did he slip so far down? @Aadya_Wisden examines.#WIvAUS #MarnusLabuschagne pic.twitter.com/fxgFlpzHGD
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 22, 2025
At his best, Labuschagne has proven that he's a classy batter and an invaluable part of Australia's top order. And Taylor believes he has what it takes to go away and work on his technique, regain confidence and return to the Test side as a more formidable batter. "He's got time to come back, and I think he will come back, Marnus, and probably come back a better player," Taylor added.
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For now though, teenage sensation Konstas gets the chance to cement his spot at opener after being dropped off the back of his incredible debut Test series against India. The 19-year-old is set to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order against the Windies, with Inglis perhaps favoured to take over at No.3 after Cameron Green's struggles there in the WTC final.
Green looked troubled after returning scores of just 4 and 0 in his two innings at Lord's and would probably prefer to return to his favoured No.4 role in Smith's absence. While Inglis returns after his memorable century on debut in Sri Lanka this year. And the 30-year-old is happy to bat wherever suits, having performed in various roles for Western Australia and Australia's white-ball sides.
"I think it's just because I have done it, I feel comfortable going into different positions," Inglis told reporters at Bridgetown's Kensington Oval. "I've batted at the top in white-ball cricket and in the middle, so I've become accustomed to moving around a fair bit and something I pride myself on.
"I took a lot of confidence from (from Sri Lanka); my debut Test match, it was nice to go out there and get a hundred." Australia convincingly won both matches of the two-Test tour of the West Indies the last time they were there in 2015 and will be hoping to kick off the new WTC cycle in similar fashion.
Aussie coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins have described the Windies series as a "reset" for the Test side, and with eight members of the XI having never played a Test in the region, it has that feel. Bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the only current players who featured on that 2015 tour.
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