"Every time we don’t get to play at Gabba, it’s disappointing for us" - Marnus Labuschagne on iconic venue being potentially discarded as a Test venue
Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne has expressed disappointment at the prospect of the iconic Gabba not being considered a Test venue in the future. The stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, has been part of several iconic triumphs for the Men in Yellow and has been a fortress for them, despite their shaky recent record.
The Gabba means a lot to the Australian players, especially Labuschagne since it is his home ground. It has served as the curtain raiser for the Ashes series for four decades, a tradition that will be broken in the 2025-26 series when Perth plays host to the series opener.
The Gabba has been assigned matches in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the 2025-26 Ashes series, with the latter being a pink-ball contest. However, the prospects of the aging venue are quite grim after that, with a lifespan that lasts until 2030 in its current condition.
“Every time we (Australia) don’t get to play at the Gabba, it’s disappointing for us as a playing group because we love the wicket at the Gabba. We love playing in Brisbane, we’ve got a really good record in Brisbane, so that (no Tests at the Gabba) is really not ideal," Labuschagne told Fox Sports.
“Hopefully, over the next couple of years, we can sort out the things that need to be done for us to be hosting Tests (at the Gabba) in the future. It’d be a sad day if we don’t get to play at the Gabba for a long period of time," he added.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley recently said the Gabba's time may be coming to an end, with plans being laid down for a bigger venue, keeping the 2032 Olympics in mind.
“We welcome that there’ll be further investment in the near term but … we think that the sports fans of Queensland deserve a brilliant, fit-for-purpose stadium for the longer term,” Hockley said.
Australia have played 66 Tests at The Gabba from 1931 onwards and have won 42 of those.
"It’s very exciting for cricket to be in the Olympics; it’s going to be awesome" - Marnus Labuschagne
The right-handed batter voiced his excitement after cricket's inclusion in the Olympics itinerary for the first time since 1900 but cast doubts over his presence in the squad. The sport will be reintroduced at the 2028 LA Olympics in the T20 format, which Labuschagne has only played once for Australia.
Labuschagne is, however, keen on building his T20 profile after having played for Glamorgan in the T20 blast and signing a new contract with the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL).
It’s very exciting for cricket to be in the Olympics. It’s going to be awesome. That’s a long time away. We’ll have to wait and see. You want to be playing all formats for Australia," he said in the same interview.
Labuschagne will next be seen during Australia's white-ball tour of England in September.