Australian keeper-batter has only played six games in the
last two BBL seasons.
Peter Handscomb will skipper Leicestershire in the T20 Blast this season, with
director of cricket Claude Henderson claiming he has "all the necessary
qualities" despite his lack of recent experience with the game.
Handscomb has only made six appearances in Australia's Big Bash League over the
last two seasons, and he was without a contract last year when the Melbourne
Stars called him in as a last-minute replacement for first-choice wicketkeeper
Sam Harper.
On the other hand, Leicestershire is relying on Handscomb's extensive experience
as they look to qualify for T20 Finals Day for the first time since 2011 they won their third title. "I'm very excited to lead this team,"
Handscomb declared. "The balance of the side looks good and hopefully we
can perform to the standards we've set ourselves."
Handscomb originally signed with Leicestershire for six County Championship
games last year, but his contract was extended, and he ended up playing five
times in the Blast, three of them as captain. He signed a two-year contract extension
for 2024 and 2025 at the end of last season and is the team's leading
Championship run-scorer this season, with a century and three fifties in five
innings.
Leicestershire won the Metro Bank Cup last year, and they believe their 50-over
form will carry over to the T20 Blast. "We showed in One Day Cup last year
what we can do in white-ball cricket, so it's exciting to try and
replicate that in the T20s this year," added Handscomb. "We want to
entertain and play a fun brand of cricket."
Henderson remarked, "Pete possesses all of the attributes we seek in a
captain. Not only does he have tremendous leadership experience, but he is also
an extremely calm presence on the field and a widely respected voice in the
locker room.
Last summer, Leicestershire finished last in the North Group with two victories
from 14 games, prompting chief executive Sean Jarvis to deny the club was in
crisis following the abrupt resignation of coach Paul Nixon.
In the off-season, they recruited Ben Mike, Liam Trevaskis,
Scott Currie, and Ben Cox to their team, while Wiaan Mulder will return as the
club's other overseas player, alongside Handscomb. Rehan Ahmed should be available throughout the tournament after his exclusion from
England's T20 World Cup squad.
Leicestershire's first Blast match is against Yorkshire on May 31. The
tournament's group stage continues until July 19, with the quarterfinals and
Finals Day taking place in September.
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