Handscomb, Bancroft to push for Test call-up

Peter Handscomb and Cameron Bancroft, two of the country’s finest young batting talents, will be captain and vice-captain for Australia A in the initial Brisbane leg of the winter series and the pair will be hoping they can use it as a springboard to national selection.

Cricket Australia confirmed Handscomb as the Australia A captain for the two first-class fixtures against South Africa A at Allan Border Field that open the winter quadrangular series in the Sunshine State, with Bancroft his deputy. 

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The pair lead a young but far from inexperienced batting group. 

At 26, Marcus Stoinis is the oldest member of the batsmen selected in the 13-man squad and only Sam Heazlett has played less than 10 first-class games, an indication of the increase in young players making runs in the Sheffield Shield.

Last summer saw an explosion in the number of young batsmen making centuries in first-class cricket, with 10 players aged 23 or younger notching triple-figures.

At 25, Handscomb is just outside that bracket but his appointment as skipper of the A side is another indication he’s on the radar of the national selectors.

Handscomb burst onto the scene when he struck a brilliant match-winning century for the Melbourne Stars against the Perth Scorchers at the MCG in BBL|04 and seven Sheffield Shield centuries, including one in March's Shield final, since making his first-class debut in 2011 have underlined Handscomb’s potential.

He enhanced his reputation as one of the better players of spin bowling in the country with assured performances on the Australia A tour of India last year.

Former Bushrangers coach Greg Shipperd labelled the fleet-footed right-hander as the finest player of slow bowling after Michael Clarke when the former Test captain was in his batting prime, a tag Handscomb suggests was something of a curse at the time.

“The last time someone said I was one of the best players of spin, my next five dismissals were to spinners,” Handscomb, who played two matches for the Rising Pune Supergiants in the recent Indian Premier League, said. 

“Obviously I’m quite confident against spin, I use my feet and attack them.

“But batting at No.4, I spend most my time against the new ball or against quicks. In Australia it’s generally three or four quicks and a spinner.”

Bancroft was another to impress on that A tour to India and was subsequently named in Australia’s squad for their planned tour of Bangladesh in October.

But Australia’s first Test tour to the densely populated Asian nation in more than decade was postponed due to security concerns. 

The 23-year-old admits his lost opportunity was a bitter pill to swallow.

“It was a heavy mental and emotional thing for me when that tour got cancelled,” Bancroft, who amassed 732 runs at 42.26 in the Sheffield Shield this summer, told the West Australian.

“You work so hard to get an opportunity.

“I got so close and then to have it taken away, I was really disappointed and angry. It is amazing how things like that build up and affect your cricket without you even realising. 

“That was me last year. I had a pretty good year, though not a great year, and I could have been a lot more consistent.”

While Bancroft was denied the chance to prove his red ball wares on the subcontinent, he made his international debut later in 2015-16 though it wasn’t in the format he was expecting.

His 137 runs at 34.25 (strike-rate 128.03) while also filling in as wicketkeeper for the Perth Scorchers in BBL|05 showed his versatility and helped win him a berth for Australia in a Twenty20 International against India.

"For me the BBL was a great opportunity to let all that (Bangladesh tour disappointment) go, go out and play some shots, have some fun and really enjoy it," the 23-year-old said in January about his surprise selection. 

"To get this opportunity has been a bit of a shock but I'll go out there and do my best keeping and batting. 

"And you never know what can happen."

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Because of their relative youth, both batsmen have had limited captaincy experience.

Handscomb got a brief taste when he skippered the Bushrangers in a Sheffield Shield match in March, while Bancroft took the reins at his Perth club side Willetton last summer for the first time. 

The Victorian is nonetheless excited to lead his country in an international fixture.

“It's a pretty awesome feeling,” he said.

“To get to represent your country in itself is pretty amazing and to have the chance to lead the boys out onto the field and try my hand at the captaincy is going to be unreal.

"(I'm) obviously really looking forward to it."