Adam Zampa vows to end Australia’s search for another Shane Warne in Tests

sanjeev

khelja|10-08-2024

Nathan Lyon might be Australia's premier Test spinner for over a decade, but the country's search for another Shane Warne continues.
White-ball specialist Adam Zampa has again raised his hands for reconsideration, saying he has a real chance of making his Test debut sooner despite a lack of showing in first-class cricket in the past few years. Zampa was on the selectors' mind for the away India tour last year, only for them to handpick Mitchell Swepson ahead of him. Though Zampa was disappointed with the outcome, his heavy white-ball schedule over the past few years meant he played just two first-class games since 2019, further denting his case for a Test debut. "I think, realistically, [I'm] still a chance to play Test cricket," Zampa said on the Final Word podcast. "If I was playing a lot of Shield cricket right now with the way I'm bowling, the bowler I am, think I'd be fine, I'd be doing really well. The few games I have played in the last couple of years are suggestive of that," he continued.   Australia playing two spinners in a home Test is a rarity until the game is in Sydney; Zampa, however, can remain available for the Sheffield games or the white-ball leg against Pakistan to prepare for the India Tests starting in November. Though the selectors do not consider Sheffield's performances for selection, they have discussed Maxwell's name for the away Sri Lanka series (early next year), giving Zampa, who averages nearly 46 in Sheffield, a beam of hope of breaking into the bigger bracket. "Even if I do get picked in the upcoming subcontinent tours, people will say, well, his record is averaging 46 with the ball; it's not good enough, people will say that I'm sure, but if I do get picked, I'll know that the way I feel like, I'm bowling, it'll be fine," Zampa continued. Playing for country over franchise cricket Not shying away from plying his trade in different franchise-based T20 leagues worldwide, Zampa admits he's happy doing that but not at the cost of his availability and performance for the Australian Team. "I was lucky to…be part of a winning World Cup team," he said. "Looking forward, the franchise thing isn't for me. I want to keep playing for Australia as long as I can, the feeling of success in that team is something I want more of. I'm lucky enough to have signed a two-year with Australia, and it's on the basis of wanting to play every game for Australia. It meant I had to make some decisions around franchise cricket," Zampa added. Meanwhile, the right-arm off-spinner will next be in action against Scotland in three T20Is early next month before as many against England followed by five ODIs.
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