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Labuschagne Retains Spot in Australia's Squad for South Africa Tour

Marnus Labuschagne has clung onto his Test spot for Australia’s tour of South Africa, as selectors resisted the temptation to make a headline-grabbing call and instead named a broad, flexible 16-man squad built for a demanding three-match series.

The 32-year-old, under intense scrutiny after a prolonged lean patch, will board the plane to Durban for the first Test on October 9. He does so without a Test century since the 2023 Ashes and off the back of scores of 1, 31 and 4 in the recent series against Bangladesh.

The numbers are stark. Averages of 34.91 in 2023, 30.93 in 2024 and 20.84 in 2025, and just 24.20 this year, tell the story of a player who has drifted far from his peak as Australia prepare for their first Test tour of South Africa since the infamous Sandpapergate series in 2018.

Yet he remains. Not selected for the white-ball leg of the trip, but still very much in the frame to walk out in Australia’s XI when the Test series begins.

Connolly rewarded as selectors bulk up options

If Labuschagne’s retention is the headline, Cooper Connolly’s inclusion is the intriguing sub-plot.

The all-rounder, who averages 42 with the bat in first-class cricket from 13 matches, has been named in an extended squad and continues his rapid rise after making his Test debut in Galle against Sri Lanka last year. His selection underlines Australia’s desire to deepen their all-round stocks on a tour that will be played in a tight window and across contrasting conditions.

Connolly joins Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann to give Australia three spin options, a clear nod to the potential for turning surfaces across the series. It also gives captain Pat Cummins tactical flexibility should the pitches tire quickly or if South Africa lean into spin as a point of difference.

The fast-bowling group, as ever, looks formidable. Cummins will be backed by Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Michael Neser, offering a mix of pace, bounce, seam and relentless accuracy.

Behind the stumps, Alex Carey retains the gloves, with Josh Inglis again named as reserve wicketkeeper. All-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster add further depth, particularly in balancing the side if conditions call for an extra bowler without weakening the batting.

Weatherald overlooked as Renshaw holds ground

At the top of the order, there was no reprieve for Jake Weatherald. The opener, dropped for Matthew Renshaw after Australia’s defeat to Bangladesh in Darwin, has missed out again as selectors stick with Renshaw as part of their top-order plans.

That decision, like the one to persist with Labuschagne, points to continuity over upheaval. In a “reasonably condensed” series, as chair of selectors George Bailey put it, with three Tests following six one-day internationals and only short breaks between matches, Australia have opted for stability and versatility rather than wholesale change.

“The squad provides balance and options for each Test and the variety of conditions we may face,” Bailey said, summing up a group designed to bend rather than break under a heavy workload.

Australia’s Test squad for South Africa

  • Pat Cummins (NSW/Penrith Cricket Club) (c)
  • Scott Boland (VIC/Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club)
  • Alex Carey (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
  • Cooper Connolly (WA/Scarborough Cricket Club)
  • Cameron Green (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
  • Josh Hazlewood (NSW/St George Cricket Club)
  • Travis Head (SA/Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club)
  • Josh Inglis (WA/Joondalup Cricket Club)
  • Matthew Kuhnemann (TAS/Clarence Cricket Club)
  • Marnus Labuschagne (QLD/Redlands Cricket Club)
  • Nathan Lyon (NSW/Northern District Cricket Club)
  • Michael Neser (QLD/Gold Coast Cricket Club)
  • Matthew Renshaw (QLD/Toombul Cricket Club)
  • Steve Smith (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club)
  • Mitchell Starc (NSW/Manly Warringah Cricket Club)
  • Beau Webster (TAS/Kingborough Cricket Club)

So Labuschagne lives to fight another series, Connolly edges closer to a permanent role, and a seasoned core prepares to revisit the scene of Australian cricket’s most bruising modern scandal.

The squad is picked. The questions now move to the middle.

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