Brisbane [Australia], October 7 : Following a confidence-boosting century for Queensland against Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield, out-of-favour Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne admitted that his focus is now "just scoring runs" and he is not going into technical side of things and spoke on words of legendary Aussie Michael Hussey which have stuck with him since receiving his 'Baggy Green' Test cap from him back in 2018.
Just days after a knock of 130 against Victoria in the One Day Cup, Labuschagne continued to stake his claim for a national side return for the Ashes series. Labuschagne is without a century in his past 49 international matches, having scored just 12 fifties in 57 innings at an average of less than 30.
His form has been even worse in red-ball cricket, with his last Test century coming against England back in July 2023. Since then, he has been able to muster just 668 runs in 16 matches and 30 innings at an average of 24.74, with seven fifties and a best score of 90. While he was selected for the West Indies tour this year for the Test matches, he did not get to play a single match.
Speaking following his century as quoted by Fox Cricket, Labuschagne said, " I felt good out there. It felt like I was reading the conditions well. I took the game on at certain times."
"I feel like I have really stripped it back and my focus is just scoring runs - it is not really too technical ... just what I need out there to score runs," he added.
He also admitted to learning a lot from "one of the best players in the world", his teammate Steve Smith.
"So having an adjustable technique and something that I can just use, rather than work out what is the exact, perfect way to play, is important. It is just about going back to find a way to score runs," added the batter.
Labuschagne still has not forgotten the words that Hussey told him when he received his Test cap from the left-hander way back in Dubai against Pakistan in 2018. The right-hander had a rocky start, with a duck and 13 in his first match. The words about handling pressure from Hussey have stayed with Labuschagne since then, who has experienced the highest of highs, with an ICC number one Test ranking, to sitting out on the sidelines.
"You are probably not under pressure as such, but certainly when you are not scoring runs, yeah, there is certainly pressure. But that is international cricket," he said.
"I mean, you are not playing international cricket if you do not want to be able to deal with pressure and deal with criticism and deal with ... what is in front of you. I think that is the one part that separates good cricketers and great cricketers ... is the way they deal with pressure."
"I will never forget the day Michael Hussey gave me my cap, and he literally said those words. He said, 'The way you deal with pressure will dictate how you will go in this cap.' And there is no truer statement. Right now, this is the perfect example of ... finding your way back, and the pressure that comes with that and trying to work out how you're going to get yourself back into that side," he continued.
The batter also admitted as he sits out of the team, it is an "exciting time" for him and he is confident of finding his way back into the team ahead of the first Ashes Test from November 21 onwards.
"I think it is an exciting time for me. It is a challenge that I have not had for ... six or seven years since I joined the Australian team, and I've found myself probably ... slightly on the outside, but I am very confident that I'll find my way back there very soon. The benefit I have is that I know that I have done it before. I know it was not long ago that I was there playing my best cricket. So for me, it is an opportunity to sit back and take in how I am going to go about getting myself back to my best," he concluded.
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