“If he finished this season really, really well, I think the Australian selectors might look at that opportunity,” Rogers told SEN Radio of the Bangladesh Tests.
“I know they’ve got their eye on him. But he’s had a few challenges in the first-class system already. You expect that with a young player, the standard is very high, so it’ll be interesting to see how he goes.
Peake, a classy left-hander, slashes the ball through the off side against England.Credit: ICC via Getty Images
“So whether it’s in that series or in the medium-term future, I think that’s something we’re pretty confident will happen.
“But it’ll be down to him and seeing the growth he’s showing and whether he can come back into Shield cricket in what are going to be high-pressure games at the back end of the season. If he can score runs then, I think he’ll show the selectors he’s up for it.”
So far, Peake has shown numerous instances of batting intelligence well beyond many of his contemporaries, whether guiding Victoria home against South Australia on a spinning pitch at Adelaide Oval, or conjuring a win for the Melbourne Renegades with a last-ball six in the Big Bash League.
Rogers said Peake’s displays in Zimbabwe would only add to the sense that he has the sort of game awareness to step up to international cricket soon – provided he can make some big scores at state level.
“When you’re the big player and there’s expectation on you, it can be quite daunting, and just play on your mind a little bit,” Rogers said.
“But the fact he goes out and scores runs and gets the job done, and does it in such a good fashion as well, it just sits nicely on his shoulders, and I think there’s a captain-in-waiting there in terms of higher honours.
“We’ve spoken about his game awareness and his intelligence, that really stands out. So to go and do that, and a hundred in a chasing total is tough as well. That’s when you know there’s scoreboard pressure and you have to get the job done.
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“The pressure can get to you and you can make mistakes, but it’s the ones who can think clearly, make the right decisions at the right time and problem-solve their way through; they’re the players that stand out.
“He was under immense pressure and he made the right decisions. That’s something you can’t teach, I think it’s innate, and hopefully he’s going to have that for the rest of his career.”
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