Adelaide, February 13, XYZ Social News Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne will captain the Queensland Bulls on Wednesday at Karen Rolton Oval in their final Marsh Cup match against South Australia. Usman Khawaja, the team’s regular captain, will be rested ahead of the New Zealand tour.
Since leading the Queensland Under-19 squad more than ten years ago, this is Labuschagne’s first professional team captaincy.
After making his debut for Queensland in 2014, Dylan McLachlan will make his List A debut at Karen Rolton Oval, where the 29-year-old captain will lead the team. McLachlan will be the first Indigenous men’s cricket player to represent Queensland since spinner Brendan Doggett.
South Australia and Queensland, who are currently ranked fifth and sixth in the Marsh Cup ladder, will play a dead rubber because they are not going to be able to advance to the final on Sunday.
To hone his skills ahead of Australia’s Test tour of New Zealand, Labuschagne is preparing for both the Marsh Cup match and his Queensland side’s match. The Sheffield Shield match takes place in Adelaide.
Labuschagne’s role as a senior batter and future leader becomes more important for Queensland as Khawaja is expected to miss the Shield match in order to focus on rest ahead of the upcoming tour.
The winner of the match between Victoria and New South Wales will have the opportunity to host the Marsh Cup final, with all six state teams competing for the title.
In the meantime, Western Australia hopes to take advantage of the chance to beat Tasmania in Hobart and guarantee a spot in the finals.