I'm ready for the next level: Handscomb

Australia A captain Peter Handscomb believes he is ready for the rigours of international cricket if and when the opportunity comes his way.

Handscomb, who was promoted to the role of captain for the Australia A first-class matches against South Africa A last month and will again lead the one-day side in Sunday's final against India A, has been held in high regard by the national selectors for some time.

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"I think I'm ready. (Despite) having never played any international cricket, I feel like my game could be good enough now, but you don't know until you take that step," Handscomb told cricket.com.au.

"Hopefully it comes at some stage, but like I've said before, it's not something I'm worrying too much about.

"My job at the moment is to score runs for Australia A, and then go back to Victoria and have another dominant season there if I can."

Australia A teammate Kane Richardson added his named to a growing of supporters of the Victorian, suggesting their interstate battles may be limited; Handscomb's future, he says, is with the national side.

"I think he's got a huge future," Redbacks quick Richardson told cricket.com.au's Unplayable Podcast.

"To be honest I don't think he'll play a lot more state cricket – I think he's destined to be in the Aussie team."

Handscomb made a fine century for Australia A in their final first-class fixture against South Africa A in Townsville last month.

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The timing was particularly apt for the 25-year-old, his innings coming at a time when the Test side's top six were languishing badly in Sri Lanka and with national selector Mark Waugh in attendance.

It prompted calls for Handscomb, who averages 37.97 in 57 first-class matches with eight hundreds, to be one name considered when Australia return to the subcontinent for their tour of India next February-March.

"You always have that in the back of your mind a little bit, of trying to push for higher honours," he admitted.

"But when you're in the moment, and you're batting, you're not thinking about anything else except for the next ball that's coming down.

"It's nice to make runs in any game, and great to do it for Australia A in front of a selector, so it doesn't hurt, but in the moment it's not something you think about too much.

"It'd be unbelievable (to play for Australia).

"Obviously it's something I've been aiming for, for a long time now and fingers crossed I can get there one day."

And while the right-hander has had an unproductive run with the bat in the quadrangular series to date, Richardson has been equally impressed with his captaincy.  

"He's very relaxed on the field. He puts a lot of it into your hands – he'll offer his opinion if he feels he needs to, but I think the really good captains put trust in you, back you in and let you do your thing," he explained.

"If you're getting pasted all around the park, he'll come in and change it, but he was really good at just trying to stay one ball ahead."

In the build-up to the quadrangular series, National selector Rod Marsh described Handscomb as "one of this country's best up-and-coming leaders".

Handscomb joined Australia's ODI squad as cover in England last September, and although he didn't earn a debut, it was another indication that he is very much on the selectors' radar – a fact that didn't surprise former Bushrangers teammate Chris Rogers.

"I've been fortunate enough to have witnesses the improvement in Pete Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis over the last few years," Rogers told cricket.com.au last October.

"They're two guys who I think have the ability and the self-awareness and self-management to go all the way.

"So I have high hopes for those two and I think we'll see a lot more of them in the future."

Richardson meanwhile, is intent on returning to bolster an already strong Redbacks pace attack in this summer's Sheffield Shield.

"I'm just working on making sure I can get through a summer without getting injured," said the 25-year-old.

"Making sure my back isn't in two pieces before the season even starts is a good start.

"I haven't played a lot of four-day cricket and that's something I really want to nail down.

"I've probably got a reputation at the moment of not being a good four-day bowler or a good four-day cricketer, so I really want to play a lot of red-ball cricket this season and do really well.

"That's a real ambition of mine."