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"Don’t like the way I’m playing": Marnus responds to ODI snub
Nicholas Quinlan • October 10th, 2025 3:56 pm
Marnus Labuschagne has reflected on his incredible start to the cricketing summer after struggling to make runs for Australia throughout the last 12 months.
After being dropped from the Test side immediately after Australia’s loss to South Africa in the World Test Championship Final, the former Australian No. 3 has been a man on a mission.
In the four matches he has played for Queensland this domestic season (three ODIs and one Sheffield Shield match), Labuschagne has managed to score three centuries, putting him in the box seat for an Ashes call-up.
Delighted with his start, the Queenslander is optimistic about the future.
“Whenever you start the season the way I have, scoring three hundreds, it’s always a nice start personally,” he said to Adam White on SEN.
“And it’s been a nice start from a team perspective. Obviously, yesterday was disappointing that we didn’t get the win there (against Tasmania in the One Day Cup).
"But all in all, it's been a really nice start."
He was then asked White about the differences he had noted in his game from 12 months ago.
Labuschagne believes his non-selection helped him re-engage with the game and get out of a "technical spiral".
“I think probably the break and missing out from the Test side, it gave me an opportunity to reflect and to have a sense of where I want to be at in three months’ time,” Labuschagne explained.
“Like, ‘How did I want it to look?’ Because I don’t want to keep playing this way because I don’t like the way I’m playing, and I don’t like the way I’m going about it.
“But sometimes when you are in that moment and you’re in the game, you don’t have the time to actually fix it (and) get out of that little whirlpool.
“So, it was nice to step back and just work on a few things from a technical space.
“And the best part is, I know when I’m engaged in the game and I’m reading the game well, that’s when I’m playing at my best.
“So, just trying to pay more attention to those things rather than make my technique as perfect as it can be as I think over a long period, (I) probably got stuck in a bit of a technical spiral there rather than going, ‘I’ve got different ways I can bat, I can bat with different techniques but why don’t I just go there and work out what’s the best for this scenario.”
And while the goal of returning to the Test and One Day squads remains a goal for Labuschagne, his main focus for now, at least, is to play at his best to warrant selection into both sides.
"I mean, my motivation and my only motivation...obviously those other things, you know, getting back in the Test team, playing One Day cricket for Australia, they're all there," he elaborated.
"My only motivation was I wanted to be playing at my best, and I know when I'm playing at my best, all those other things are just associated with me.
"I'm playing at my best, I'm in the Test side. If I'm playing at my best, I'm in the One Day side.
"But it had been 18 months since I had been playing at my best.
"So that was my only thing is I just want to be playing cricket at my best."
Labuschagne will next appear for Queensland in the second round of the Sheffield Shield next Wednesday.
The Bulls will take on South Australia at Adelaide Oval.
