Australia's selectors have dropped batter Marnus Labuschagne from the national Test squad, ruling him out of the upcoming series against New Zealand, according to a report from The Guardian. The report said the decision was made early, before the full squad for the series had been named.
The Guardian reported that chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed on Monday that Labuschagne would be omitted from the squad for the first Test against New Zealand. The newspaper described the batter as under fire, and its summary gave no further detail about his recent form.
Because he has been dropped, the decision removes a batter who had been part of Australia's Test squad before this announcement. The Guardian reported that it is "Still possible" Labuschagne will be recalled for tours to India and England, though the summary does not explain the basis for that view.
The Guardian's summary also said Australia's next Test begins on a date, but the available excerpt cuts off before naming it, so the start date is not reported here. Readers should also note that the summary does not say why the selectors reached their decision beyond describing the batter's form as under fire.
The Guardian credited the underlying report to Australian Associated Press. The full article was not available for this story, so the selectors' reasons, the names of any replacements, and Labuschagne's recent statistics are not included.
Sources: The Guardian: Australia selectors make early call to axe Marnus Labuschagne from Test squad.