Marnus Labuschagne's ODI struggles leave selectors searching for answers in 2026

Marnus Labuschagne's ODI average has dropped to 17.73 since the 2023 World Cup final with just one half-century in 16 innings.

2023 World Cup heroics In Ahmedabad, he strode in with Australia at 47 for 3 chasing 241 against a dominant India with a World Cup trophy on the line. After slightly over two hours at the crease, he finished unbeaten on 58 when the winning runs were hit. That innings concluded a 19-match stretch where Labuschagne averaged 48.93 in ODI cricket, including one century, five fifties, and only one score below ten. ## Sharp decline post-2023 Since the 2023 World Cup final, his ODI average has plummeted to 17.73 with just one half-century in 16 innings. That solitary half-century came in Nottingham, a performance that arrived ten months and two innings after his Ahmedabad effort. Since then, his average has further dipped to 11.64 across 14 innings, with only two scores exceeding 19. Over the last twelve months, he has played seven ODIs, scoring just 27 runs from 70 deliveries at an average of 4.5, with 25 of those runs accrued in four innings on the current tour of Pakistan and Bangladesh. ## Selector interventions and setbacks Twelve months ago, selectors removed Labuschagne from the Test team in a move described as a circuit-breaker to address his century drought in Tests, which had persisted since the 2023 Ashes. He has acknowledged both the necessity of the decision and the technical adjustments he made to address weaknesses exposed at Test level. Despite these efforts, his international century drought has now stretched to 70 innings across all formats, with his most recent Ashes performance marred by wasted starts and familiar dismissals. ## Planned role and current struggles Labuschagne was expected to serve as the stabilizing force in the ODI batting lineup heading into next year's World Cup, following Steve Smith's departure. With powerplay hitters like Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, and Josh Inglis, he was slotted into a similar role as in 2023. South Africa's World Cup venues present challenges for new-ball batting, potentially forcing teams to rebuild innings late. Labuschagne has a strong ODI record in South Africa, having scored both his ODI centuries there, but his current form resembles a fragile barrier rather than a solid one. ## Domestic dominance vs international fade Australia's selectors face a dilemma as they cannot send Labuschagne back to domestic cricket to rediscover form, as he has consistently proven too strong for that level. Last summer, he was named Australia's domestic One-Day player of the season after scoring four centuries in six innings against four different state attacks, including eventual winners New South Wales. However, these performances may highlight the depth issues in Australia's white-ball bowling, exposed during the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2026 T20 World Cup, and on the current tour without the senior trio. In those four domestic games, 25 bowlers were used, with Glenn Maxwell, Will Sutherland, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, and Liam Scott having ODI wickets as of Tuesday. Riley Meredith and Jack Edwards were the only others with international appearances. ## Technical breakdown, not weakness Labuschagne's recent struggles no longer appear tied to technical flaws. His 25 runs from 59 balls in the most recent four ODIs reveal a batter so anxious about dismissal that he has lost sight of scoring options he once mastered. During his 2023 surge, he effortlessly started innings against both pace and spin. Against spin, he excelled in backing away to work the ball into gaps with a vertical bat before executing effective conventional sweeps. In Pakistan, he fell cheaply to both shots against left-arm orthodox Arafat Minhas in his first international series. Against pace, he used to thrive on anything straight or overpitched without taking undue risk. In Mirpur, he missed a 123.9kph full inswinger from Mustafizur Rahman he would have flicked through midwicket with ease in his prime. ## Mindset issues and self-sabotage His run out in the final ODI in Lahore encapsulated his current mindset. Under scoring pressure, he dug in to scrape 19 from 39 balls while captain Josh Inglis was starved of strike after 25 off 27 deliveries. Labuschagne became so fixated on returning strike to his skipper that he charged back for two when Inglis did not share his understanding. The mix-up was not entirely his fault, as Inglis later accepted partial blame for failing to recognize Labuschagne's mental state. It symbolized the state of his game now—a batter desperate to do the right thing but instead undermining his own efforts. ## Future uncertain Labuschagne will exhaust every avenue to escape his current rut. Whether selectors grant him additional time remains an open question.