Australia's Labuschagne wants to become man-for-all-formats

Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne is hopeful that he can cement his place in the team's limited-overs sides on the upcoming white-ball tour of England.

Brisbane: Australia's rising middle-order batsman Marnus Labuschagne on Wednesday insisted that he wants to improve his game, irrespective of the format. Labuschagne also revealed that he is developing his bowling skills for One Day International cricket.

Marnus Labuschagne in Tests

"It doesn't matter what the format is; you want to get better. There are some areas in one-day cricket where I'm continuing to develop: my bowling and making sure I get a bit more consistent, so I become a better option for the skipper in the middle overs and, with my batting at the death - I want to keep working on that," Labuschagne was quoted as saying by a sports website.

"So it's been nice to have five months to be able to work on those skills, where if I'd been playing cricket you might not have had the opportunity. It's all about using the time wisely. Hopefully, that's the way it comes across," he added.

Asked about leadership roles, Labuschagne said he was not thinking about that.

"I love being a leader but I don't think that means you need a title," he said.

"It's just about ... enjoying my cricket and making sure that I keep staying consistent scoring runs for Australia - because that's my job."

Marnus Labuschagne

Australia are set to play three T20Is and three ODIs against England, beginning September 4. The T20Is will be played at the Ageas Bowl while the ODIs will take place at Old Trafford.

The Australian squad will arrive in the UK on August 24, travelling to Derbyshire's The Incora County Ground before transferring to The Ageas Bowl after England's third Test match against Pakistan on August 27.

Australia will play a 50-over intra-squad practice game and three T20 practice matches before the start of the three-match T20I series against England. The other two T20Is will be played on September 6 and September 8.