Cricket Wrap: Chris Lynn put in his place; Adam Zampa does the unthinkable

Chris Lynn vented his frustration after not being told he hadn’t made the T20 squad, one former selector has delivered a parting shot.

Former cricket greats have hit out at Chris Lynn after the master blaster vented his frustration over not being told by selectors he would miss Australia’s T20 squad.

Lynn was miffed he wasn’t at least given a phone call to inform him he wasn’t included in Australia’s latest T20 squad.

“I don’t mind being dropped (but) to not make a phone call, that lack of communication is very poor,” Lynn told AAP at Kayo’s summer of cricket launch. “And it has probably been poor for a number of years now in Australian cricket.

“There have been plenty of scenarios where blokes have found out online, it’s not that hard to pick up the phone and make a call.”

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Cricket Australia’s policy is that players are contacted if they are dropped from a side after being part of the previous squad.

Lynn did not fit that bill, having missed the last series in India in March.

Now former selector and Australian cricket legend Mark Waugh has delivered a parting shot to Lynn over his frustrations.

“What do they want? The selectors to ring every player in Australia?” Waugh told reporters at Fox Cricket’s launch.

“He wasn’t actually in the last Australian T20 team. Therefore if he was they would have spoken to him, but he wasn’t. So they didn’t feel the need to.”

Chris Lynn’s international career has hit a hurdle.

Waugh’s comments come in the wake of former Aussie spinner Brad Hogg and coach Justin Langer speaking out about the dropping.

Australian coach Justin Langer said on SEN radio yesterday he has previously spoken with Lynn about his position in the pecking order and the right-hander is “crystal clear” he needs to outperform the returning Steve Smith or David Warner, or other T20 top-four batters Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, if he wants to wear the green and gold.

One-day World Cup winner Hogg said Lynn doesn’t need a phone call from selectors if Langer has already communicated with him, and doesn’t believe he deserves to be picked for Australia because he’s not playing domestic cricket and has a poor international record.

“Why should (chairman of selectors) Trevor Hohns give him a phone call when another selector, Australian coach Justin Langer, has conveyed to him why he wasn’t picked in the World Cup this year and how it’s going to be hard for him to get selected in the Australian team right now because of the comebacks of Warner and Smith,” Hogg said in a video posted to his Twitter account.

“Also, he’s not putting back into domestic cricket. He’s going away playing all these T20 tournaments, he hasn’t signed a contract for Queensland to play in their white-ball format.

Several greats have hit back over Lynn’s frustrations.

“There’s plenty of time to play T20s around the world — you’ve got the IPL for two months and you’ve got the English summer as well so go and commit to them, but play the Australian domestic summer here if you want to represent the country.

“Also, Chris Lynn’s performances haven’t been up to scratch at the Australian level and he’s got shoulder problems, he’s a liability in the field.

“Chris Lynn shouldn’t be there in the Australian team, I think the Australian selectors have made a good call here.”

Lynn has long been a destructive force in domestic T20 competitions, particularly for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash, but in 18 T20Is for Australia he averages just 19.4 at a strike rate of 131.67.

In his past nine T20I innings Lynn has scored more than 20 just once.

Ex-Australian captain Ian Chappell was another to rubbish Lynn’s complaint he was owed a phone call, saying it should be obvious why he isn’t in the team.

“I’m not sure what sort of communication you make. If you’re a bowler and you’re not getting wickets, that’s probably why you are not in the team. If you’re a batsman and you’re not making runs, then that’s why you are not in the team,” Chappell told Macquarie Sports Radio.

“What the hell do you need to hear from a selector? I mean I come from a different era but what is the right communication? Some of them (players) are delicate flowers, but then some of them also don’t want to hear the truth.

“As a selector you’re going to have to be pretty blunt with people if you are ringing up and telling them the bad news. But I would have thought it’s pretty easy to work out as a player why you’re either in or out of the team.”

ADAM ZAMPA STUNS QUEENSLAND

Adam Zampa turned into a matchwinner with the bat.

Some brilliant late hitting from Adam Zampa lifted South Australia to victory over Queensland on Wednesday despite another impressive knock from Marnus Labuschagne at the Gabba.

Labuschagne’s commanding 135 had rescued the hosts from 4/24, with Jimmy Peirson (48) stabilising the innings before some late hitting from Michael Neser and Ben Cutting boosted them to 9/295 from their 50 overs.

In-form quick Wes Agar (5/69) did the damage with the ball and the Redbacks looked on track with Alex Carey (79) cruising alongside Callum Ferguson (91), before Carey was run out and Ferguson departed with plenty of work to do.

Needing 33 from the final 18 balls tailender Zampa stepped up, his 35 from just 15 deliveries featuring some brilliant strokeplay as South Australia won with two balls to spare.

The leg-spinner slapped fearsome quick Billy Stanlake for a straight six, before scooping Michael Neser for six from the first ball of the last over. That made it nine to win from five balls and Zampa, sporting a tremendous mullet, wasted no time getting there with consecutive boundaries through cover and square leg.

“I had to take some risks … flat-batting big Billy is always a risk but I pulled it off today,” Zampa said.

“I thought Marnus and Peirso batted really well, changed the game and made it tough for us.”

What an innings from Zamps! Unbelieeeeeevable win #MarshCup

— Trent Copeland (@copes9) October 23, 2019

The Bulls were in strife after Agar’s four-wicket opening spell claimed Usman Khawaja (5), Joe Burns (0) and Matthew Renshaw (0).

Labuschagne was unflustered though, ending a run of eight half centuries without reaching triple figures since replacing a concussed Steve Smith in the second Ashes Test by launching Zampa into the stands over mid-on.

“I’ve thrown a few away so it was nice to get that one but it’s very disappointing to lose,” Labuschagne said.

“The bowlers came back superbly (after Carey’s innings) but cricket’s a funny game and in three overs it can turn.”

The victory moves the Redbacks to 3-2 in the competition and denied the Bulls (3-2) a likely early berth in the decider.

— with AAP