Labuschagne solidified his place in the Australian setup during the 2019 Ashes at Lord’s, famously becoming cricket’s first-ever concussion substitute. That moment marked the beginning of a prolific phase for the South African-born batter, who went on to average an impressive 63.43 after 14 Tests and held the No.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings for six months starting December 2021.
However, the current World Test Championship cycle has been more challenging for Labuschagne, with the right-hander averaging 28.33 with a lone century. To adapt to British conditions and rediscover his form ahead of the WTC Final, he has been turning out for Glamorgan—his county stint proving to be something of a second home for him.
“I love playing with the guys here, they are close friends, and I love the environment at the club,” he said.
“The benefit of having a relationship with the club for six years is that you have the perks of being able to call the director of cricket and say: ‘this is what it looks like, is there a chance we can line this up’.
“Without that relationship, there might be some hesitancy, or you might not get someone in for two games. But that’s the benefit of the long-term commitment I have shown over the last six years.”