Adam Collins on the stratospheric rise of Marnus Labuschagne – a new batting star that Australia didn’t see coming. First published in issue 28 of Wisden Cricket Monthly.

It involves Labuschagne’s response to a question about his cricket bat, cleverly edited to create a series of non-sequiturs as he enthusiastically darts through every element of his various blades, from names to handles to tape to feel, and so on. It was a reminder of a story that emerged last year from Brisbane club cricket: he can be blindfolded yet still tell which of his teammate’s bats he’s holding.

It’s easy to laugh along at nuggets like these because they reinforce everything we’ve learned about the 25-year-old over the last six months. If David Warner is the most complicated character in world cricket, Labuschagne presents as the simplest. He’s just Marnus – the kooky and smiley cricket nut.

These sound like the actions of a prodigy, pre-ordained to excel at the top level. Except, when playing at the level below, he was anything but. This is where the comparisons with Smith diverge. Remember, Smith was taken out of school aged 17 by his manager so he could start making his fortune. Labuschagne, having arrived from Durban as a kid, made it to state cricket quickly but seldom stepped up, scoring four tons in five seasons. After graduating to the Test side in the wake of the sandpaper bans dished out to Smith, Warner and Cameron Bancroft, there was shock at how many more statistically worthy candidates he had leapfrogged.

After two Tests against Pakistan in October 2018 – in which Labuschagne’s most significant contribution was taking a reflex catch in his groin and bowling some canny spin – many assumed that would be that for his international career. Upon returning home his form was much as it always had been in the Sheffield Shield – middling. But India’s dominance on their 2018/19 tour of Australia meant a recall for the Sydney Test – to bat No.3, no less, the most sacred of all batting positions for Australians. Former players howled. How could this be? But Labuschagne didn’t mind, taking guard with a bat smothered in red cherries. As we would soon learn, he generally middles them.

It’s this foundation that leads the best judges to conclude that this will not be some flash in the pan moment for Labuschagne as it was for Pete Handscomb a few years back or, looking further afield, Gary Ballance before that. Instead, they’re building a team around this No.3. Steve Waugh recently declared him to be “the future of Australian cricket”, while Justin Langer reckons the wunderkind would “do it all for nothing” if required, such is his pure, unremitting love of batting.

Given the regard in which Labuschagne is already held, the next logical step should be that we decide to learn how to accurately pronounce his surname. The ‘Labu-Shane’ option he affords us is generous – he doesn’t want the Afrikaans to be a distraction – but given he was patient enough to learn English after arriving from South Africa, it’s surely the least we can do. One thing’s for certain: we’re going to be hearing his name for many years to come.

This article was first published in issue 28 of Wisden Cricket Monthly.