Veteran Test batter Marnus Labuschagne shared his experience of playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the near future. However, he said that he understands how difficult the route can be. While Labuschagne is a key run-getter in the longer format, he hasn’t done well in the shortest format. He averages 27.16 with the bat in 40 T20s and has taken only 24 wickets. He also featured in only one T20I so far as well.
Speaking to The Guardian, Labuschagne said: “Obviously there’s more pathways for young players now. I want to play in the IPL.’ But I don’t think that’s for everyone, right? There’s a small margin of players that can go down that path and the unfortunate thing about that path is it drops off very quickly. You have a couple of bad tournaments and, all of a sudden, who are you contracted to? But it comes down to each to their own. If money is the driver and people see that they can earn more playing white-ball rather than Test cricket, then people are going to take that route.”
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Marnus Labuschagne, who plays for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, entered the IPL 2023 auction at a base price of INR 1 crore but no franchise showed interest in him. However, he said that he adores red-ball cricket and expects an exciting summer in England. He added:
“In the last three, four years it’s been unbelievable. It’s been so entertaining. The 2019 Ashes was an unbelievable series. Australia v India in Australia, really good series. We just had a pretty good series in India on some diabolical turning wickets and then you go New Zealand v England, Pakistan v England. I mean, the game’s coming alive. So it’s going to be an entertaining summer.”
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“England were at the stage where they just needed to find a new method and they just needed a shake up. And whenever something new comes on board, people don’t necessarily know how to react. Like anything, the more they play a certain way, people are going to be able to read it and come up with plans and ways to negate that method. At the end of the day, time will tell if that’s a method that’s going to be upstanding, or if it is not,” Marnus Labuschagne concluded.
