Cape Town, Nov. 2 -- Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has backed Marnus Labuschagne's quality despite uncertainty surrounding his future in the national setup, following his lean run with the bat.

McDonald said the team would reassess its plans moving forward but stressed that Labuschagne remains a talented cricketer, highlighting his consistent performances at the state level whenever he returns from international duty.

Labuschagne remains part of Australia's squad for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand in Perth, scheduled to begin in early December. However, the batter is enduring a lean patch, having scored just 0 and 4 in the Newlands Test against South Africa.

He has now gone 16 consecutive Test innings without a hal...