Marnus Labuschagne retires ODI world cup bat

MELBOURNE: Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne finally decided to retire the bat that played a key role in his team’s victory at the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 tournament.

Labuschagne’s announcement comes after he used the bat to score 58 runs in the World Cup final against India last year.

Read more: Bangladesh cricket team touches down in Lahore for test series

The Australian’s batting was critical as Australia chased down India’s total of 240 runs. Despite a rocky start, where Australia found themselves at 47 with three wickets, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head steadied the ship.

Their 192-run partnership turned the game, with Head scoring 137 off 120 balls. Meanwhile, Labuschagne ‘s 58 supported Head as the duo guided Australia to victory.

In a post on image-sharing social media platform Instagram, the bat can be seen visibly worn and chipped. The abuse it endured into its services for Australia cricket will indeed not be forgotten so soon!

Marnus Labuschagne captioned the image with “think it’s finally time to retire the World Cup final bat.”

The bat’s retirement marks the end of its role in a historic cricketing achievement!

Read more: Olympics closing ceremony: Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible entry

Marnus Labuschagne was born in South Africa and then moved to Australia in 2004. He quickly made his mark in cricket when he debuted in the 2014-15 Sheffield Shield. He scored 83 runs at Adelaide Oval and has since become a fixture in Australian cricket.

His domestic success includes a standout 2019 County season with Glamorgan, where he scored 1,114 runs, and strong performances in the Sheffield Shield and Matador BBQs One-Day Cup.

On the international stage, Labuschagne has played 50 Tests, accumulating 4,114 runs at an average of 49.57, including 11 centuries with a highest score of 215. In ODIs, he has appeared in 52 matches, scoring 1,656 runs at an average of 37.64, with 2 centuries and 11 fifties.

Though his T20I career is limited, Labuschagne has played wellm including being the first-ever concussion substitute in Test cricket during the 2019 Ashes series, where he scored 59, 72, and 80 in consecutive innings.