 Handscomb in October 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Peter Stephen Patrick Handscomb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1991-04-26)26 April 1991 (age 34) Box Hill,Victoria, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Hank | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armoff break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 447) | 24 November 2016 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 9 March 2023 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 219) | 19 January 2017 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 11 July 2019 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 54 (formerly 29) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 94) | 24 February 2019 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 27 February 2019 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 54 (formerly 29) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011/12–present | Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012/13–2019/20 | Melbourne Stars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Gloucestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Rising Pune Supergiants(squad no. 54) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Yorkshire(squad no. 54) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Durham(squad no. 54) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020/21–2021/22 | Hobart Hurricanes(squad no. 54) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Middlesex(squad no. 29) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022/23 | Melbourne Renegades | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Leicestershire(squad no. 54) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023/24–2024/25 | Melbourne Stars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:ESPNcricinfo,18 November 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peter Stephen Patrick Handscomb (born 26 April 1991) is an Australian cricketer who plays for theVictoria cricket team.
He plays as a middle-order batsman and occasionalwicketkeeper. Handscomb has played forAustralia inTest matches,One Day Internationals andTwenty20 Internationals and plays in the AustralianBig Bash League forMelbourne Stars.
Handscomb was a talented juniortennis player, but eventually chose to pursue cricket.[1] He played for Victoria at both under-17 and under-19 level,[2] and went on to play for theAustralian under-19 cricket team during theSri Lankan under-19 team's tour of Australia in October 2009.[3]
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Having spent the2011 season playing English club cricket for Tring Park, as well as several matches forLeicestershire County Cricket Club in theSecond XI Championship,[4]Handscomb debuted for Victoria during the 2011–12 Australian season, playing as a top-order batsman. He scored 42 and 71 runs, respectively, in his firstList A andfirst-class cricket innings, both in matches againstQueensland atthe Gabba.[5][6] Handscomb's firstcentury inSheffield Shield matches came againstSouth Australia in February 2012, an innings of 113 runs at theAdelaide Oval.[7] Towards the end of the season, he was also used as Victoria'swicket-keeper, with bothMatthew Wade andRyan Carters unavailable. Handscomb was awardedCricket Victoria contracts for both Victoria and theMelbourne Stars for the 2012–13 season.[8] InVictorian Premier Cricket, he plays for theSt Kilda Cricket Club, and led the club'sbatting averages during the 2011–12 season.[9] Handscomb also holdsBritish citizenship, with both of his parents English immigrants to Australia.[1]
Handscomb's break-through first class season occurred for Victoria in 2014–15, when he scored three centuries and averaged 53.91. He also made his mark in theBig Bash League playing for Melbourne Stars, scoring an unbeaten century against thePerth Scorchers at theMelbourne Cricket Ground.[10] His century was the first time he had passed a score of 25 in the BBL, and he was the only batsman to pass 20 in his side's three-wicket win. He played county cricket forGloucestershire during 2015, and began touring withAustralia A, becoming captain of the team in early 2016.[11] In August 2019, Handscomb replacedCameron Bancroft, who had been called up to the Australian squad, in theDurham squad in2019 Vitality Blast.[12]
He captainedMiddlesex during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
In November 2016, immediately after Handscomb's maiden first-class double century againstNew South Wales[11] and amidst the backdrop of Australia's disastrous home series lossagainst South Africa and the retirement of chairman of selectorsRod Marsh,[13] Handscomb was one of several players brought into Australia's Test team ahead of the dead rubber third Test against South Africa.[14] He made his Test debut on 24 November 2016,[15] and was presented hisbaggy green cap byChris Rogers.[16]
Batting at number five, Handscomb made an impressive start to his Test career, scoring 399 runs at an average of 99.75 across the remaining four home Tests of the summer: one against South Africa and three againstPakistan. He scored his maiden Test hundred (105) in the first Test against Pakistan at theGabba, in a 172-run partnership with skipperSteve Smith,[17][18] and followed it with 110 in the third Test at theSydney Cricket Ground. Handscomb became the first batsman in history to score his maiden Test century in a Day/Night Test match. With half-centuries in the other two matches, Handscomb became the second Australian Test cricketer to score a half century in each of his first four Tests,[19] and was not dismissed for less than fifty in any innings.
Handscomb was dropped from the Australian team during the 2017-18 Ashes series in Australia.[20] He was recalled when three batmen were suspended due to the2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal, and played four more tests in 2018 and 2019 before being dropped again.[20]
Handscomb made hisOne Day Internationals (ODI) debut inPerth on 19 January 2017against Pakistan,[21] and was presented his ODI cap byAdam Gilchrist.[22] In his debut innings, Handscomb was caught behind for 0, but it was shown that the bowler,Junaid Khan had bowled ano-ball. He went on to score 82 in Australia's successful chase of 264 against Pakistan, the third highest debut score by an Australian in an ODI. On 30 January 2017, Handscomb deputised for Matthew Wade as wicket-keeperagainst New Zealand.[23]
In April 2018, Handscomb was awarded a national contract byCricket Australia for the 2018–19 season.[24][25] In February 2019, he was named in Australia'sTwenty20 International (T20I) squad for their seriesagainst India.[26] He made his T20I debut for Australia againstIndia on 24 February 2019.[27]
In March 2019, Handscomb scored his first century in an ODI, with 117 againstIndia atMohali.[28]
In July 2019, Handscomb was added toAustralia's squad for the2019 Cricket World Cup. He replacedShaun Marsh, who was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a fractured forearm.[29]
In February 2023, he was selected for the Australian Test team for the first time in four years, playing all four Tests of theAustralian tour of India.
As a batsman, Handscomb plays very deep in his crease, close to the stumps. While the intention of this technique is to get more time to react to the ball, it makes him vulnerable against pace bowlers with sideways movements (inswingers and off cutters from right-hand bowlers). This issue is further exacerbated by his tendency to change his batting guard during his innings. This issue was exposed during his recall to the Test team in 2018 against India, where Australian legendShane Warne likened him to a "lamb to the slaughter" and in the 3rd test at theMelbourne Cricket Ground, his home Test, he was dropped from the Test team.[30][31]
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Kane Richardson was not initially in the squad, but named as replacements forJhye Richardson in the final squad. | ||
