Australian cricket team veteran Steve Smith has leaked a private message from Marnus Labuschagne regarding his Ashes selection.
Smith, who could replace Pat Cummins as captain in the first Ashes Test, expressed complete confidence in Labuschagne.
Labuschagne was dropped from the Test team after six years, but is now in excellent form.
What message did Marnus Labuschagne send to Steve Smith?
Labuschagne played the role of drinks carrier in the Test series against the West Indies, as Cameron Green took his number 3 position. Smith was on vacation in New York when Labuschagne sent the message.
Smith said that Labuschagne had said at the beginning of the summer that he would return to the team for the first Test. Labuschagne has scored four centuries in five matches for Queensland.
Smith said he was very happy with Labuschagne’s return.
“He said to me at the start of the summer, ‘I’ll be in that Test team, come the first Test.’ He’s backed up his words,” Smith said.
“I sent him a message a couple of days ago, saying how proud I was of him. He’s obviously been dropped from the team and he’s just gone back and he’s got four centuries in (six) hits. That’s a pretty big statement. He’s obviously not selected yet, but he’s done a lot of things right,” he added.
What Steve Smith said about his mental freshness
Smith said that he feels mentally fresh after not playing since late August. He is ready for the Ashes and will balance his performance with captaincy.
“I certainly get drained mentally quicker than I probably used to. Ten years ago I loved to come back and play every single game that I could. Now obviously my Test cricket has taken a huge priority,” said Smith.
“I know that when I play a lot at the start, by the end of the summer I’m pretty cooked mentally and probably can’t produce the same performances. Last year I was probably batting my best at the back end of the summer against India, coming off not too much cricket at the start,” he added.
Smith said that he focuses on mental freshness rather than more net sessions. He only needs two hits to match condition.
“Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I’m ready to go now. There’s obviously a balance, but I don’t think it takes me much now to get up to game speed and I want to try and stay as mentally fresh.”
“Technically, I feel in a good place. It’s about being mentally fresh. I’m not hitting as many balls as I used to. It’s about trying to get the most out of myself mentally when I’m out in the middle and being able to concentrate for long periods of time.”
“It’s interesting how the brain works. I feel like I kind of go to another level and try to set a standard, I suppose,” Smith continued.
Labuschagne is now back in the Australian ODI squad and could make the playing XI for the Ashes opener. Smith’s revelation reflects the dynamics within the team.
