Melbourne Stars spinner Adam Zampa accuses Cricket Australia of tarnishing Big Bash League brand
T20 World Cup champion Adam Zampa has accused Cricket Australia of “taking the p***” out of the Big Bash League’s marquee fixture.
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Melbourne Stars leg-spinner Adam Zampa has accused Cricket Australia of “taking the p***” out of the Big Bash League’s marquee fixture by desperately scrambling for Covid-19 replacement players.
The Stars camp was ambushed by Covid-19 last week, with 10 players and eight support staff testing positive to the deadly virus.
Fixtures against the Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers were postponed, but the Melbourne-based franchise was forced to field a starting XI with several uncontracted grade cricketers for a one-sided contest against rivals the Melbourne Renegades at the MCG on January 3.
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Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Zampa accused administrators of trashing the competition’s brand by forcing the Stars and Brisbane Heat to continue playing despite most of its squad battling the virus.
“We’ve worked really, really hard at the brand of BBL and (are) really careful about how we go about BBL and making sure that it stays the same and we have fun playing it, like we have in the past,” he said.
“Once that gets questioned and once the integrity of the competition starts to be in doubt, that’s when the line gets crossed.
“My team is now sitting in last place and we’re staring down the barrel of missing (finals) again. So it’s getting desperate times in terms of performance.
“We’re sitting last on the table, which I really don’t think is where we deserve to be sitting.”
Zampa also claimed there was “absolutely no communication” from CA before the tournament started on what would happen if Covid-19 terrorised the competition.
“We’re in a hub now which was promised to us wasn’t going to happen. We’re here now, unfortunately it’s ended up this way,” he said.
“The Derby day scheduled for January 3 you would think you would want two full-strength squads available.
“I think the Derby day was taken the p*** out of a little bit, and that was because it was set in stone on January 3 and that day makes a lot of money for broadcasters and Cricket Australia.
“I don’t necessarily say it was right or wrong, I don’t know what the other options were because we weren’t really communicated with around those things.”
On Monday, CA announced that a central pool of Local Replacement Players had been created for the remainder of the Big Bash season.
Each players will live under BBL biosecurity protocols and can be signed by any club under the competition’s existing contracting rules.
It creates an intriguing scenario where a cricketer could theoretically play for a franchise before coming up against them later in the week.
For example, Sydney-based batter Justin Avendano has already represented the Stars and Sydney Sixers this summer.
“I think it’s obvious what’s going to happen – find as many players as you can, field a team and get the game on TV, because that’s obviously what’s most important,” Zampa said.
“The answer’s out there. It’s happened to the Stars, it’s happened to the Brissy Heat, it’s probably going to happen to more teams as well.
“If there’s enough heads flying around with certain coloured shirts on, then the competition goes ahead.”
Zampa has claimed 91 Big Bash wickets since making his T20 debut in 2012 – no spin bowler has taken more scalps in the competition’s history.
The 29-year-old has represented Australia in 57 T20 matches, claiming 65 wickets at 21.15. He was Australia’s highest wicket-taker during last year’s T20 World Cup triumph, with 13 scalps in seven matches.
Zampa will serve as captain for Monday evening’s match against the Adelaide Strikers while superstar batter Glenn Maxwell recovers from Covid-19.
Originally published as Melbourne Stars spinner Adam Zampa accuses Cricket Australia of tarnishing Big Bash League brand
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