Adam Zampa not surprised by non-selection in the Australian squad as he claims wrist-spin has no role in Test cricket anymore

Adam Zampa says he was disappointed but not surprised at being left out of the Test squad for Sri Lanka and expressed his doubt that leg-spin even has a role any more in red ball cricket.

Adam Zampa of the Blues bowls during the Sheffield Shield (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Adam Zampa says he was disappointed but not surprised to miss the Test squad for Sri Lanka and isn’t sure whether he will play first-class cricket again after his baggy green dream faded.

The champion white-ball leg-spinner meanwhile claims there is barely if any space for wrist-spinners in Test cricket these days and remains bemused by the fallout of his controversial one-match Sheffield Shield appearance for NSW in November.

Zampa, who turns 33 in March, had eyed the Sri Lanka tour as a chance for a Test call-up given Australia was always set to take a spin-heavy squad to the subcontinent.

But the leggie, who has been a mainstay of the Aussie white-ball setup for the best part of a decade and has played a pivotal role in winning two World Cups, was bypassed as the Aussies opted to include three specialist finger spinners as well as part-timer Cooper Connolly, who bowls left-arm orthodox.

Adam Zampa bowling for the Renegades in the BBL. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The closest Australia has to a leg-pinner in its 16-man squad is Marnus Labuschagne, who has largely bowled seam-up in recent times.

While Zampa said he had remained hopeful of fulfilling his goal of playing Test cricket, he had been expecting bad news before being contacted by selection chair George Bailey.

“I was disappointed but had also been expecting the decision wouldn’t go my way. I feel I have a pretty good read on these things,” Zampa told this masthead ahead of his Melbourne Renegades’ derby against the Melbourne Stars on Sunday night at Marvel Stadium.

“I had hoped to keep the dream alive but was receptive to way it was handled by Bails (Bailey) and Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald).”

From the halcyon days of Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, leg-spin has largely evaporated from Test cricket.

Among the nine nations in the World Test Championship, only Indian left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, Pakistani leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed and young England leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed play even semi-regularly.

“I’d have to say I don’t think there is a role for a wrist-spinner in Test cricket anymore,” Zampa said.

“(Pakistan’s) Yasir Shah did it well but since then not many. Maybe Kuldeep. But if not going to take one on a subcontinent tour there have to be serious doubts as to whether there is a role for one going forward.”

Zampa is a mainstay of Australia’s white ball teams. Picture: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Zampa’s lone Shield appearance fop the Blues earlier in the season had been divisive, with a host of ex-NSW players criticising the decision for Zampa to play ahead of fellow leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha. Most notably, former Test paceman Stuart Clark - a Cricket NSW director and Shield selector - claimed on the ABC that Cricket Australia had forced NSW into playing Zampa, an accusation denied by CA and understood to be false.

Zampa said he harboured no ill-will towards Cricket NSW high performance chief Greg Mail but that Clark’s comments had been unfounded.

“As I’ve said previously, I have no issue with the way it was handled by Greg Mail, but disappointed (in the way it was handled) by Stuart Clark. Clearly there was a breakdown in communication.”

He added that those who had criticised the call not to pick Sangha hadn’t appreciated the bond between the two sometime Australian teammates and the fact the injury-riddled Sangha was also managing his workload at the time.

Zampa was bemused by the controversy around his Sheffield Shield appearance this season. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Having played just three Shield matches since moving back to NSW in 2020, any call on Zampa’s red-ball future is hardly pressing, with the leggie unwilling to yet declare his first-class career was done, saying he was now focused on the remainder of the BBL season and Australia’s upcoming Champions Trophy campaign.

On the BBL front, Zampa said that while he had been frustrated with the Renegades’ season to date, a comeback win over the Perth Scorchers during the week had buoyed the side. Full of praise for the inspirational leadership of Will Sutherland, Zampa is also expecting a friendlier reception at Dockland from Stars fans than the one he got in last weekend’s derby at the MCG.

Zampa defected from the Stars to the Renegades at the end of the 2022-23 season, Zampa jokes that Renegades fans “have forgotten about Mankad-gate,” a reference to his attempt to run out a non-striker when bowling for the Stars against the Renegades two years ago.

Originally published as Adam Zampa not surprised by non-selection in the Australian squad as he claims wrist-spin has no role in Test cricket anymore