Cricket: Leg-spinner Adam Zampa confident his white-ball form can earn him a Test spot
Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa hopes his white-ball form can earn him a crack at Test cricket.
Cricket
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Adam Zampa is hoping to bowl himself into Test calculations on the back of his white-ball form.
Australia’s first choice T20 and one-day international spinner has a strong desire to play Test cricket despite his ordinary first-class bowling statistics.
Zampa, 29, has not played Sheffield Shield cricket since late 2019, with his return to NSW last season not leading to first-class appearances for his home state.
In 38 first-class matches, leg-spinner Zampa has taken 105 wickets at the expensive average of 48.26.
“It’s disappointing that I haven’t had a lot of opportunities in recent years to play first-class cricket because at the end of the day, people do look at your career stats, but it probably doesn’t really reflect the bowler you are at the moment,” Zampa said from the Caribbean, where he’s preparing for the final game of Australia’s T20 series against the West Indies on Saturday in Saint Lucia.
“I played a lot of my first-class cricket when I was 21, 22, 23, which was six years ago now, and I did have the odd game, but I wasn’t consistent enough, whereas if I played first-class cricket now, I know my game well enough and I’m confident enough to perform at that level.”
Australia’s busy white-ball schedule means Zampa is unlikely to get many opportunities in the near future at first-class level.
However, with the Australians touring spin-friendly nations Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India in the next two years, Zampa will back his white-ball form to get him into a Test team that could include three spinners.
“The conversations I’ll be having with selectors once Test tours, particularly to the subcontinent, start up again is that I’m bowling well and I’m keen to be on those tours,” he said.
“I don’t think playing Shield cricket is necessarily the be all and end all to getting in the Test squad.
“If I’m bowling well at the time that those tours get selected, then hopefully I’ll be on them.”
Zampa’s immediate task is helping Australia secure back-to-back T20 wins against the West Indies, who have an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
The tourists finally found some winning form with a four-run game four victory on Thursday.
Zampa was among Australia’s best bowlers, taking 2-20 from four overs.
“It’s satisfying when you do well against them (the West Indies), but it can be daunting when they’re coming at you – it’s a good challenge,” he said.
“Nations like the West Indies, they take their T20 cricket so seriously.
“We have guys who have played a lot of Big Bash and done really well in Big Bash, but I think the difference between playing BBL and international cricket is that little bit of extra pressure.”
Originally published as Cricket: Leg-spinner Adam Zampa confident his white-ball form can earn him a Test spot
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