Experienced Australia spinner ready for rare Test opportunity
Adam Zampa has been a prolific performer in white-ball internationals for Australia.
Since his international debut in 2016, Adam Zampa has been one of Australia's most successful bowlers in limited-overs cricket with a cumulative record of 274 wickets at an average of 25.58. Zampa also featured prominently in Australia’s recent white-ball global successes, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 (13 wickets at 12.07) and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 (23 wickets at 22.39).
Every wicket taken by Adam Zampa at CWC23
Despite this exceptional run, Zampa has remained a white-ball specialist thus far, with Australia preferring the services of Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Agar, Todd Murphy, and Matthew Kuhnemann to back up Nathan Lyon in Tests in recent years.
However, this does not mean that the door has shut on Zampa. And with the recent edition of Border-Gavaskar tropy just few months away, the spinner retains hope of making it to the Test squad.
“I think, realistically, [I'm] still a chance to play Test cricket. If I was playing a lot of Shield cricket right now with the way I'm bowling, the bowler I am, [I] think I'd be fine, I'd be doing really well. The few games I have played in the last couple of years are suggestive of that,” Zampa told the Final Word podcast.
Some factors that might stand in Zampa’s way are his sporadic first-class appearances (he has played red-ball cricket only twice since 2019) and his average which sits close to 47.
This, however, didn’t bother the 32-year-old, who trusted his bowling to come good in the longest format of the game.
“Even if I do get picked in the upcoming subcontinent tours, people will say, well his record is averaging 46 with the ball. It's not good enough, people will say that I'm sure.
“But if I do get picked I'll know that the way I feel like I'm bowling, it'll be fine.”
One thing that does work in Zampa’s favour is his commitment to Australian international cricket despite being a hot commodity in the T20 franchise market.
“Looking forward, the franchise thing isn't for me. I want to keep playing for Australia as long as I can, the feeling of success in that team is something I want more of.”
It is perhaps for this reason, that Zampa has signed a two-year contract with Cricket Australia.
“I'm lucky enough to have signed a two-year with Australia and it's on the basis of wanting to play every game for Australia. It meant I had to make some decisions around franchise cricket.”