Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne ( or ; born 22 June 1994) is a South African-born Australian international cricketer who plays for the Australian national team and domestic cricket for the Queensland cricket team. He also currently plays county cricket for Glamorgan and in the Big Bash League for the Brisbane Heat.
In August 2019, Labuschagne was the first cricketer to become a concussion substitute in a Test match, replacing Steve Smith. Labuschagne was the leading run-scorer in Test matches in 2019. He rose to fourth place in the ICC Player Rankings during the year, a rise of 106 places. In January 2020, Labuschagne was named as the Emerging Cricketer of the Year by the International Cricket Council (ICC), in February as Australia's Test player of the year, and in April as one of the five Cricketers of the Year by "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack".
Early life.
Labuschagne was born in Klerksdorp, in South Africa's North West province, to South African parents. His family emigrated to Australia in 2004 when he was 10, after his father gained work in the mining industry, and Labuschagne attended school at Brisbane State High School. He grew up speaking Afrikaans, and only became fluent in English after moving to Australia.
Domestic career.
A right-handed batsman, Labuschagne played for Queensland at under-12, under-15, under-17, and under-19 level, and captained the side at the 2012–13 National Championships. In Brisbane Grade Cricket, he plays for Easts-Redlands District Cricket Club. He spent 2013 playing club cricket in England for Plymouth in the Devon Premier League and played for Sandwich Town Cricket Club in the Kent Premier League in 2014, scoring prolifically for both sides.
After playing just once for Queensland Academy, Labuschagne made his first-class cricket debut in the first round of the 2014–15 Sheffield Shield season against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Opening the batting with Joe Burns, he scored 83 runs in Queensland's first innings, featuring in a 99-run fourth-wicket partnership with Nick Stevens. Later in the 2014–15 season, Labuschagne was used as a substitute fielder for the Australian national side in the second Test against India at the Gabba, taking a low catch at short leg.
Labuschagne made his List A debut for Queensland in the 2015 One-Day Cup in October 2015 and scored his maiden first-class century in the following month, making 112 runs in his eighth Sheffield Shield match. He scored 273 runs at a batting average of 45 in the 2016 One-Day Cup and was named player of the tournament.
In September 2017, during a 2017 One-Day Cup match between Queensland and Cricket Australia XI, he became the first fielder to be penalised under the newly introduced Law designed to stop fielders deceiving batsmen. Labuschagne dived to field a ball in the covers, and although he failed to stop the ball he feigned throwing to the wicket-keeper. His team was penalised five runs.
After being Queensland's leading run-scorer in the 2017–18 Sheffield Shield, Cricket Australia named him in their Sheffield Shield team of the season.
County cricket.
In April 2019, Labuschagne signed for Glamorgan County Cricket Club for the 2019 English cricket season. He made 1,114 runs in his first County Championship season, including three centuries in his first four first-class matches - one of which was a then career-best 182 against Sussex in a Glamorgan record second-wicket partnership of 291. He was the second-highest scorer in the Second Division of the County Championship, despite only playing in ten matches, and topped Glamorgan's batting averages with an average of 61.89 runs per innings. He also took 19 wickets with a bowling average of 38.11. In November 2019, he re-signed for Glamorgan for the next two seasons following his performances in the 2019 Ashes.
In June 2020, Labuschagne's contract was extended for an extra season following the disruption of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
International career.
In September 2018, he was named in Australia's Test squad for their series against Pakistan. He made his Test debut for Australia against Pakistan on 7 October 2018, scoring a two-ball duck in his first innings and 13 runs in his second. He also took two wickets on debut. He had his baggy green cap presented by Michael Hussey. In the second Test, he took another five wickets and made scores of 25 and 43, top scoring in Australia's second innings.
He was named in the Australian One Day International squad in December 2018 ahead of the team's tour of India the following year before he was surprisingly added to the Australian Test squad for the fourth Test match against the touring Indians at the start of the year. He was selected to bat at number three in the batting order, a decision which was "heavily criticised" at the time. He scored 38 runs in his only innings and was retained in the side for the two Tests against Sri Lanka at the end of the summer.
After showing good early season form for Glamorgan in county cricket, he was named in Australia's squad for the 2019 Ashes series in England. On 18 August 2019, Labuschagne replaced Steve Smith on day five of the second Test, after Smith suffered a concussion on the previous day – becoming the first player to be concussion substitute in a Test match following a change in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) regulations. He went on to score 59 runs, the highest in the Australian second innings, and was selected for the third Test in Smith's absence, top-scoring in both Australian innings, batting in a style which was described as "exceptionally doughty, brave and intelligent batting". After England were bowled out for 67 in their first innings, Labuschagne became the fifth batsman in Test history to make two scores in a match higher than the total scored by the opposing team in one of their innings.
Labuschagne retained his place in the Australian side for the visit of Pakistan the following summer, scoring 185, his maiden Test century, at the Gabba. He scored another century in the second Test before scoring a third in the first Test against New Zealand in December. Having made three consecutive centuries, he made half-centuries in his next two innings before starting 2020 by making his first double-century in the third Test against New Zealand at the SCG, scoring 215 runs. He finished 2019 as the year's highest Test match run-scorer, having made 975 of his 1,104 Test runs in the year after his appearance as a concussion substitute in August. During the year he rose 106 places to become the fourth-ranked batsman on the ICC rankings.
In December 2019, Labuschagne was named in Australia's ODI squad for their 2020 tour of India. He made his ODI debut on 14 January; Australia won the match by ten wickets with Labuschagne not batting or bowling in the game. He played the remaining two ODIs of the series, scoring a maiden ODI half-century in the third match.
After being retained in the Australian squad for their tour of South Africa, he scored his first ODI century in March, making 103 runs at Potchefstroom, close to his hometown. In April 2020, Cricket Australia awarded Labuschagne with a central contract ahead of the 2020–21 season. On 16 July 2020, Labuschagne was named in a 26-man preliminary squad of players to begin training ahead of a possible tour to England following the COVID-19 pandemic. On 14 August 2020, Cricket Australia confirmed that the fixtures would be taking place, with Labuschagne included in the touring party.
Personal life.
Labuschagne was brought up in a Christian household and committed to the faith aged 17. On his faith, Labuschagne says, "Sport is a fickle game and injuries play a big part. In the big scheme of things, what you're worth, what you put your value in, isn't out there on the pitch; it's internal and in Christ... cricket is always going to be up and down and if you have [Jesus Christ as] a constant in your life, it makes life a lot easier."
Labuschagne married his wife, Rebekah, in 2017.