Marnus Labuschagne treats PSL like a joke, puts domestic cricket above Pakistan league stint
Published - 09 Feb 2026, 12:52 PM | Updated - 09 Feb 2026, 12:55 PM
Table of Contents
Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne has made a bold call that has surprised many. Even after signing a big deal with a new Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, Marnus Labuschagne has decided to put domestic cricket first and delay his entry into PSL 2026.
Marnus Labuschagne delays PSL 2026 entry despite big signing
The Pakistan Super League 2026 will be played from March 26 to May 3. A brand-new team, the Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen, had already made headlines by directly signing Marnus Labuschagne as their star player for their debut season.
However, the Australian batter has confirmed that he will not travel to Pakistan at the start of the league. As reported by Code Sports Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has confirmed that he will “delay his PSL 2026 arrival” because of his domestic commitments with Queensland.
Marnus Labuschagne will delay his arrival to the PSL until after Queensland’s Sheffield Shield season is over.https://t.co/1Uzv8OpNFf pic.twitter.com/Zlm4xLwGxr
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) February 9, 2026
He will reportedly stay back in Australia with the Queensland Bulls to finish the Sheffield Shield season. Labuschagne’s main goal is to help Queensland chase a rare domestic double by winning both the One-Day Cup and the Sheffield Shield.
Read Also: Pakistan Cricket Board announces PSL ban in India amid rising tensions
Queensland commitments take priority
If Queensland qualifies for the Sheffield Shield final, which is set to be played from March 26 to March 30, the right-handed batter will miss the start of the upcoming PSL 2026 and will only join the Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen in April. This decision left the team and many stunned.
Last week, the Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen announced Labuschagne’s signing on social media with an animated poster, calling him their big direct signing for PSL 11. Labuschagne joining the PSL will be his first big T20 league deal outside England’s Vitality Blast.
View this post on Instagram
Injured but unstoppable Marnus Labuschagne
Notably, Labuschagne, who is also a handy off-spinner, is playing with a broken bone and torn ligaments in his right thumb. He suffered this injury during the final Ashes Test against England in January 2026, yet he continues to play while wearing a splint.
He is expected to stay in a brace for nearly eight weeks to fulfil his commitments. Even with this injury, the 31-year-old batter has been in red-hot form this season. He has already hit four centuries in just five innings with two 150+ scores across domestic formats.
Read Also: Ricky Ponting, Ravi Shastri unite to brutally bury Babar Azam’s T20I career
What are the rules for squad size and playing XI in PSL 2026?
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Super League will conduct its first-ever player auction on February 11. The rules for team selection are clear and strict. Each team must build a squad of at least 16 players and can go up to a maximum of 20 players in total.
Out of this group, five to seven players must be overseas cricketers. For every match, teams are required to include at least three foreign players in their playing XI, but they cannot field more than four at a time in the game.
Along with this, each squad must include at least two uncapped players who are under the age of 23, and at least one of these young players must be part of the playing XI in every game. All players signed for PSL 2026 will have a two-year contract with their teams.
After the end of the upcoming season, teams will be allowed to keep a maximum of seven players, as the league will see a mega auction, and they will be allowed to retain only five players before rebuilding their squads.
About the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...
