Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne took a bold decision that surprised many. Even after signing a big contract with the new Pakistan Super League (PSL) team, Marnus Labuschagne has decided to prioritize domestic cricket and postponed his participation in PSL 2026.

Marnus Labuschagne postponed for PSL 2026 despite big-money signing

The 2026 Pakistan Super League will be held from March 26 to May 3. A brand new team, Hyderabad Houston Golden Men, has made headlines by directly signing Marnus Labuschagne as the star player for the first season.

However, the Australian batsman has confirmed that he will not travel to Pakistan when the league begins. Marnus Labuschagne has confirmed that he will “delay the arrival of PSL matches in 2026” due to his domestic commitments in Queensland, Code Sports Australia reports.

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Marnus Labuschagne will have his PSL arrival postponed until the end of the Queensland Sheffield Shield season.https://t.co/1Uzv8OpNFf pic.twitter.com/Zlm4xLwGxr

— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) February 9, 2026

He will reportedly stay in Australia to complete the Sheffield Shield season with the Queensland Bulls. Labuschagne’s main aim is to help Queensland achieve a rare domestic double by winning the One-Day Cup and Sheffield Shield.

Also read: Pakistan Cricket Board announces PSL ban in India amid rising tensions

Queensland’s commitment takes precedence

The right-handed batsman will miss the upcoming PSL 2026 and can only join Houston Kings Hyderabad in April if Queensland qualify for the Sheffield Shield final, scheduled to be held from March 26 to March 30. The decision shocked the team and many people.

Last week, Houston Kings Hyderabad announced Labuschagne’s signing with an animated poster on social media, calling him their direct signing in PSL 11. Labuschagne joining the PSL will be his first big deal in the T20 league outside of England’s Vitality Blast.

Injured but unstoppable Marnus Labuschagne

It is worth noting that Labuschagne is also a skilled spinner. He fractured his right thumb and tore ligaments during the game. He suffered the injury in the final Ashes Test against England in January 2026, but continued playing wearing a splint.

He is expected to wear the brace for nearly eight weeks to fulfill his commitment. Even with the injury, the 31-year-old batsman is still in hot form this season. He has hit four centuries in just five innings and has scored 150+ twice in domestic matches.

Also read: Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri team up to brutally bury Babar Azam’s T20I career

What are the rules for team size and starting XI in PSL 2026?

At the same time, the Pakistan Super League will hold its first player auction on February 11, with clear and strict rules for team selection. Each team must field a team of at least 16 players and can have a maximum of 20 players.

In this group of players, five to seven players must be overseas cricketers. In each game, the team’s lineup must contain at least three foreign players, but no more than four foreign players may play at one time in a game.

In addition to this, each team must include at least two uncapped players under the age of 23, and at least one young player must appear in the starting lineup in every game. All players participating in PSL 2026 will have a two-year contract with their team.

After next season, teams will be allowed to keep up to seven players as the league will conduct a major auction, and they will only be allowed to keep five players before rebuilding the team.