Adam Zampa is hopeful of donning the baggy green jersey and is confident his performances in Tests will stand out despite the lack of first-class cricketers over the past six years.
Due to his demanding white-ball schedule, Zampa has made just two first-team appearances since 2019. Both came after returning to New South Wales, where his career began in 2020, and after seven years in South Australia, he has made just six appearances since 2017.
“I think realistically I still have a chance of playing Test cricket,” he said. Last words podcast. “If I play a lot of Shield cricket the way I’m bowling now, I think I’ll be fine as a bowler. I’ll be doing really well. The few games I’ve played in the last couple of years suggest that.”
It is unusual to field two spinners in a home Test, but Australia will be playing a two-Test series in Sri Lanka early next year and will be looking to use a variety of spin bowling options to support Nathan Lyon. The upcoming summer schedule is also likely to give Zampa a rare chance to play Sheffield Shield cricket before visiting Pakistan for ODIs and T20Is in November.
However, the Australian selection committee has previously stated that Sheffield Shield performance is not the only criterion when selecting players to tour the subcontinent. Glenn Maxwell has also been included in the Sri Lanka tour and Zampa, who currently has a first-class average of 46.98, is confident that his game can adapt.
“Even if I get picked for the upcoming subcontinent tour, people will say that his average is 46, it’s not good enough, and I’m sure they will. But even if I get picked, I know that if I bowl the way I do, I’ll be fine,” he said.
Whether or not Zampa’s international future includes Test cricket, he has made it clear that he will prioritise Australian duties over franchise action, especially after the culmination of his ODI World Cup success in 2023. He has withdrawn from both the IPL and MLC this year and has confirmed he has signed a two-year central contract with Cricket Australia.
He is currently playing for the Hundred Four Oval Invincibles and is the joint-leading wicket-taker in the tournament. He said it fits his lifestyle and the schedule for this season, with Australia set to tour England in September, but added that he does not want to spend long hours away from home outside of international cricket.
“I was lucky to be part of a World Cup winning team,” he said. “Looking ahead, a franchise is not for me. I want to play for Australia for as long as possible. The feeling of being successful with that team is what I want more. I was lucky enough to sign a two-year contract with Australia and that was because I wanted to play every game for Australia. That meant I had to make some decisions about franchise cricket.”
Zampa, the only Australian male bowler with more than 100 T20I wickets, will represent Australia in three T20Is against Scotland early next month before playing in three matches against England and then five ODIs.
