"Don’t slip and get bowled" - Michael Vaughan trolls Marnus Labuschagne on Twitter
Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne recently shared a video on social media in which he could be seen practicing in his backyard on a subcontinent-style pitch, recreated with the help of a black mat and metallic plates.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan reacted to the Aussie batter's unique way of preparing himself for the team's upcoming tour of Pakistan. He sarcastically warned Labuschagne of slipping on the custom-made wicket. Vaughan wrote on Twitter:
"Love this... but be careful you don’t slip and get bowled on that surface Marnus... Looks a bit slippery."
Love this .. but be careful you don’t slip and get bowled on that surface Marnus .. Looks a bit slippery 😜😜 twitter.com/marnus3cricket…
Vaughan's comments were in reference to Labuschagne's bizarre dismissal during the 5th Ashes Test in Hobart last month. The right-handed batter had hurriedly shuffled forward and across against a delivery from Stuart Broad.
Labuschagne's spikes slipped on the pitch and he tumbled on all fours, allowing the pacer's delivery to crash onto his stumps. Watch the weird dismissal here:
One of the weirdest dismissals we've ever seen! 😱
#Ashes https://t.co/8Qp5rKprn8
The star Australian batter gave it back to Vaughan by sharing a picture in which the latter could be seen posing with a bat in dug-up soil. He posted:
"Hahah cheers mate.. about as slippery as this pitch."
@MichaelVaughan Hahah cheers mate.. about as slippery as this pitch 😬 https://t.co/2CccV6FSIO
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has announced a full-strength Test squad for their impending Pakistan tour. The number one-ranked Test side will visit the Asian nation for a series for the first time since 1998.
The two cricketing nations will battle it out in three Test matches, followed by three ODIs and a one-off T20 game. The first Test of the series will begin on March 4.
Australia squad for Pakistan Test series
Pat Cummins will lead the Australian team for the three-Test series against hosts Pakistan while Steve Smith will serve as his deputy. Andrew McDonald will be the interim head coach for the historic tour, following Justin Langer's resignation.
Our 18-player Test squad for the Qantas tour of Pakistan! 🔒
The Test playing contingent and staff are due to depart for Pakistan later this month while white ball players, to be announced separately, will join mid-tour for the ODI and T20I matches. https://t.co/7RM0HwKygq
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
On standby: Brendan Doggett, Sean Abbott