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Marnus to adapt to brave new cricket world

3 minute read

Marnus Labuschagne says Australia's top-ranked Test team will adapt to whatever rules and resources in place whenever they next come together to train.

MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE of Australia.
MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE of Australia. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Marnus Labuschagne has vowed to adapt to any level of restrictions and staffing whenever next in the nets preparing to play for Australia.

Labuschagne and teammates confront the prospect of returning to a significantly different environment whenever they next assemble to train.

Justin Langer has described himself as a "full-time coach on part-time pay", while the national coach's assistants and other support staff were among those workers stood down by Cricket Australia.

CA's cost-cutting measures are in place for the rest of the financial year, but Adam Gilchrist is among those to have forecast the prospect of a permanent drop in support-staff numbers.

"That's a real privilege of playing for Australia, the amount of coaches," Labuschagne told reporters on Monday.

"Potentially, depending on how many coaches are about, we are going to need to help each other out and do a few things ourselves.

"But I think everyone that's in the system has gone through a period where you need to help each other out ... we are all well equipped.

"Hopefully the loss isn't too much and we retain those coaches, because they've been doing a fantastic job which is shown being the No.1 T20 and Test nation."

Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) guidelines, including those restricting the use of saliva or sweat to shine a cricket ball, will shape what is possible whenever the national squad reassembles.

Nationally-contracted players' leave period ends on May 18, but a range of COVID-19 restrictions are certain to remain in place come that date.

"State teams will have to get creative with their training," Labuschagne said in Brisbane.

"Whatever rules and regulations, we as players will just abide by them.

"Different states have slightly different regulations at the moment. Queensland is still bound by the (training with a) single person outside of your household.

"Hopefully by the time the pre-season starts ... there are a few relaxed regulations and we can potentially have 10 people training, obviously maintaining social-distancing."

Australia's two-Test tour of Bangladesh in June has been postponed.

Australia's next commitment is a white-ball tour of the UK that is slated to start on July 4 but could be cancelled or delayed, while England's cricket board has even floated the idea of playing the games in Australia.

Meanwhile, CA will meet with its state-association owners on Tuesday for the latest round of talks regarding funding cuts.

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