Watch: Marnus Labuschagne's unconventional field placement leaves umpire and commentators stunned

Australia batter and Queensland captain Marnus Labuschagne stunned cricket fans with his unconventional captaincy move during the Sheffield Shield. Marnus Labuschagne made the surprising decision to place a fielder directly behind the bowler's arm, and the video has gone viral on social media.

Marnus Labuschagne has started his preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 by playing in the domestic red-ball tournament, which commenced on Tuesday, October 8. The Queensland skipper opted to bowl first after winning the toss in their opening match against Western Australia in Perth.

Michael Nesser dismissed Cameron Bancroft for a duck on the first ball of the innings. Nesser also got the big wickets of Jayden Goodwin (0) and Mitchell Marsh (13). Spinner Mitchell Swepson broke a 59-run stand for the fourth wicket by removing Hilton Cartwright for 38 runs.

Captain Sam Whiteman and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis helped Western Australia recover from a disappointing start. Whiteman and Inglis added a massive 203-run partnership, which frustrated the Queensland bowling attack. Labuschagne tried to bring himself into the attack.

Watch: Marnus Labuschagne Sets Unusual Field During Sheffield Shield

Marnus Labuschagne came to bowl the 64th over of the innings. During his second over, Marnus set an unusual field by placing the fielder directly behind the umpire, who was surprised by the move. However, the Queensland captain later repositioned the fielder by pulling him to the left of the umpire.

Josh Inglis, who was on 83 runs, remained unfazed by Labuschagne's unusual fielding tactics. Labuschagne attempted to distract Inglis with a bouncer, but the right-handed batter showed composure and skillfully ducked under the ball.

I Don't Think I Have Ever Seen That - Commentator

"He's almost standing next to him," the commentator exclaimed.

"He's literally going to stand there behind the bowler's arm. So he's standing directly behind the umpire, Marnus has now pulled him by his pants and right across... You wonder what he's going to do, don't you? I don't think I have ever seen that."

Cricket.com.au took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the video clip of Labuschagne setting the unconventional field during the match.

'I don't think I've ever seen that!'

Marnus Labuschagne as #SheffieldShield captain is an experience 😂

Watch his full (and very entertaining) three-over spell from day one at the WACA: https://t.co/5oPc5eu6Jn pic.twitter.com/OCE2vNcxKR

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 9, 2024

Marnus Labuschagne Failed To Pick Up Wicket On Day 1 Of Match

Many cricket fans questioned the legality of Labuschagne positioning a fielder directly behind the bowler's arm. Some acknowledged that the move was legal, while others argued it went against the spirit of the game.

Labuschagne bowled a three-over spell during the opening day. The right-arm medium pacer started with two maiden overs. Marnus bowled several bouncers that the batters decided not to play. He gained attention after Australia's spin-heavy approach in their recent ODI series against England.

Also read: Laura Wolvaardt climbs to 3rd place in ICC T20I rankings for batters; Sophie Ecclestone remains No.1 bowler