Australia Cricket: Labuschagne targets T20 World Cup after Glamorgan stint

Marnus Labuschagne has played 18 Tests and 13 One-Day Internationals for Australia since his debut in October 2018

Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne hopes he has done enough to earn a place at the T20 World Cup after a stint with Glamorgan.

Labuschagne, 27, has not played short-format internationals, despite starring in Tests and one-day internationals.

He featured in the UK's T20 Blast after international travel problems prevented him travelling to the West Indies in June.

He was Glamorgan's top scorer in the tournament despite missing four games.

The ICC Men's World Cup will now be played in the United Arab Emirates in October and November 2021, after plans to stage the event in Australia and then India were put on hold because of coronavirus restrictions.

Labuschagne is hoping that his record of 390 runs averaging 55 with a strike-rate of 140, plus nine wickets in eight games, will be good enough to convince the Australia selectors.

"I want to be there, I want to be playing for Australia in all three formats, but there's literally nothing more I can do in this format," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"I've shown some of the things I can do well and some things I need to improve, so (selection) is not in my hands.

"Coming back to Glamorgan, it was one of my focuses to improve my T20 game and learn how to play that role batting at three or four.

"At times I did it really well, at times I didn't do it as well, but that's part of learning. I was really excited to come and play the Blast, and grow with bat and ball, so I think I leave here a much better player than I came which is always very satisfying."

'I want to be the best'

Despite a slow start in his first four Championship matches, Labuschagne hit form for Glamorgan in both Championship and T20, though he missed five matches after being named as a Covid contact of team-mate Nick Selman.

He said: "You come back to county cricket and it challenges you in a different way, and you're forced to learn about your game and ask yourself tough questions.

"I love playing for Glamorgan, and I want to keep learning, I want to keep getting better and be the best in all the formats.

"I felt my best opportunity was to come here with Matt (coach Matthew Maynard) with the amount of games I was going to play and just grow as a player."

Whether or not Labuschagne makes the T20 World Cup, there is the small matter of the Ashes series against England on the horizons, starting on his home ground in Brisbane on 8 December.

"Always thinking about the Ashes, if I'm not sleeping I'm thinking about what their bowlers are doing, how I want to bat," he said.

"I'm always working on my game, looking forward to Test cricket and there's nothing more exciting than having England in Australia so I can't wait."

No beach break

As a hyper-active figure in the dressing room, and a leading light in Glamorgan's indoor cricket sessions during rain breaks, the Queenslander says he will not have time for a beach break after a fortnight in a quarantine hotel on his return to Australia.

"Hopefully we can get away, but I don't think it'll be for a week. After 14 days in quarantine, I don't think I can go another seven away from playing cricket so it'll have to be a day-trip to the beach, after training in the morning!

"I'm going to be sick of myself by the end of quarantine, throwing the ball up against the wall and hitting throw-downs by myself. I'd hate to be in the room under me, that's for sure, " he joked.

Labuschagne is due to spend a third season with Glamorgan in 2022 when he is not on duty with Australia.