The “special” Warne moment that left an impression on Handscomb

Peter Handscomb was once treated to a special one-on-one net session with Australian great Shane Warne in the early days of his career.

In 2011 when he was just 20 years of age, Handscomb was asked by the late Shane Keith to pad up and face a few deliveries.

Warne was gearing up for the inaugural BBL season with the Melbourne Stars when he called on Handscomb for some help.

And the fledgling Victorian bat was more than happy to lend a hand.

“I’ve had a few favourite Shane Warne stories - some I can tell on air, some I can’t,” Handscomb said on SEN Mornings with Adam White.

“One of the first times I got to meet Shane he actually just came into the MCG indoors (nets) and he was getting ready for BBL|01 (in 2011). He needed someone to bowl to and I’m like, ‘Let’s go, I’d love to face him and see what he’s got and have that experience’.

“Greg Shipperd was there as well so he kind of facilitated the whole meet-up.

“He (Warne) was bowling everything, making sure he’s still got all his tricks.”

Just as Warne descended on Handscomb with his customary flipper, the young buck managed to middle one.

Rather than be irritated by an upstart, Warne warmed to the emerging talent and shared his immense knowledge with an inquisitive Handscomb.

“This is probably more a story about me than about Shane, but he bowls this flipper and about halfway down I reckon he thought I’ve got him here and his eyes were lighting up,” he continued.

“It was about to hit my back shin, but I managed to pull it, hit it in the middle, and I’d say it would be for six in the indoor nets.

“I remember the look. He kind of looked to me and was like, ‘Hang on a second, that was meant to get you out’.

“After that net session he was just so kind with his time. He talked me through how he was trying to get me out, how he saw me playing, where I could potentially improve, what he thought I did really well.

“That was something that was really good about him. He loved cricket and he was happy to talk cricket and make other people better as well.

“He didn’t have to be there and share his knowledge with me. He could have gone off to do something else but that extra 5 to 10 minutes at the end of the net session was something pretty special.”

The pair would end being Stars teammates during the second BBL season in 2012/13.

Even now at the age of 34 and after playing 20 Tests and 22 ODIs, Handscomb looks back fondly on that moment which left a great impression on him in the early days of his career.

Handscomb, who was this week named captain of the Prime Minster’s XI, was in the SEN studio to touch on a number of cricket topics as we gear up for the Ashes.

Listen below: