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"India, Australia And England Are Carrying..." Marnus Labuschagne On Test Cricket’s Future

Rajgeeta Yadav

Marnus Labuschagne [Source: @FlashCric/X.com]Marnus Labuschagne [Source: @FlashCric/X.com]

Australia and South Africa are ready to face each other in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, which will be played at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground in England on June 11. Both teams performed really well in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle, earning their spots in the final. Australia enter the final on the back of two major series wins, first against India in the BGT, and then against Sri Lanka.

However, not all is smooth in the world of Test cricket. South Africa, despite being in the final, won’t play a single home Test this year. This shows how hard it is for teams outside India, England, and Australia to keep playing Test cricket regularly. 

Many of these countries are struggling with money issues, and their players are getting more attracted to T20 franchise leagues that pay well. This makes it difficult to maintain a balance between traditional Test cricket and franchise cricket.

Labuschagne Urges More Nations to Support Test Cricket

On the other hand, the “Big Three”, India, England, and Australia, have strong cricket boards with better finances. This allows them to play more Test matches while also keeping their players active in franchise cricket.

Australia star batter Marnus Labuschagne highlighted this issue. He said that while the big three are doing most of the work to keep Test cricket alive, it’s important for all nations to produce great players and keep the format going strong. 

“Every time Test cricket is on, people want to watch it. India, Australia, and England are probably carrying a bit of the load of Test cricket, but we really want to see all the countries keep producing great players and being part of upholding such an amazing tradition of Test cricket,” he said, speaking on the ICC.

When it comes to WTC, Labuschagne said it makes every Test match more meaningful. He said, 

 “It is an exciting tournament. It means every Test you play has something on it, it brings all the countries into play, and anyone can make the final.” 

“It’s exciting to play in, you’re playing for a trophy at the end of a two-year cycle. I think it has worked great. Two years ago, when we beat India, it was awesome,” he added.

Talking about Labuschagne’s current form in the WTC cycle, he scored 935 runs off in 19 innings at an average of 28.33. Despite the poor average, he still made some important contributions in the series against India, with scores of 64, 70, and 72. 

To prepare for the WTC final, he’s been playing county cricket in England for Glamorgan, which he now considers his second home.