No overhaul needed in my technique, says Peter Handscomb

Handscomb has been facing criticism over his technique for a while.

Peter Handscomb (Getty)

Right-hand batsman for Australia, Peter Handscomb has said that he is not at all perturbed by the criticism regarding his very unorthodox batting technique and is firm in maintaining that he doesn't need an overhaul but can succeed doing a few tweaks. 

Handscomb has a good record playing Test match cricket for the country, with 757 runs at an average of 43.63 in 13 games but his technique has been under scrutiny ever since James Anderson exposed it with swing in the air and seam off the surface in the earlier part of 2017/18 Ashes series. 

Handscomb was dropped from the side for the Perth Test after failures in Brisbane and Adelaide, as Australia preferred Mitchell Marsh's all-round ability ahead of him for the rest of the series. 

Talking about his technique, former captain Ricky Ponting had said at the time, "It's very unusual. I've never seen it before. There's going to be a few things there that need to be changed as far as I'm concerned. If he keeps moving around like he does and moving back in front of his stumps, it just looks like he's making batting more difficult for himself."

While, Handscomb doesn't agree with it. He was recently quoted saying, "I found it quite funny that when I first came in and I was making runs with my technique, everyone said it was a bit different, but they were happy to go with it, It was funny how it all changed when, all of a sudden, I wasn't making runs and the reason was my technique."

Handscomb has enlisted former Test opener Chris Rogers, to help make the necessary changes without abandoning the hallmarks of his homespun approach.

He further added, "I've definitely taken some of that stuff (criticism) on board, I'm doing a lot of work with Chris Rogers, just to tinker with a few things and really get my straight drive and my cover drive back, so I can attack the bowler again rather than just waiting for them to come to me. I lost that ability to get forward when I needed to and really put that pressure back on the bowler. They just kept coming fuller and fuller and I didn't really have those answers because I probably got too stubborn in my ways and wanted to prove I could play off the back foot more than I needed to."

"When I first came in (to Test cricket) I was still driving well and still shifting my weight both forward and back well. Over a year, year and a half, I went a little too far back. Guys are obviously going to target my pads and they're going to target my stumps. So I need to be able to find a way to be able to score off those balls. Hopefully, this is a way and I can go out and prove that I'm still a good player, and I'm still a good Test player."

Part of Australia's "A" team tour of India, Handscomb thinks, having worked really hard on his against spin, he can achieve success over here. 

"I feel like I have developed a relatively strong game against spin, definitely in Australia, and I feel like it's been strengthened over in India and then in Bangladesh, I've had that time overseas in the subcontinent and I've got to stay with that plan and stay with my strengths, turn those starts that I've gotten in the subcontinent into big scores.

"(The Australia A series) could be a bit of preparation for Dubai, if I'm selected for the Pakistan team. It is a way to push my case and make sure I am in the Test team. Hopefully, I can do that."

(Inputs from Cricket.com.au)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 27 Jul, 2018

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