"I probably missed my opportunity to connect with Shane as well as I could have" - Adam Zampa remembers Warne

Ahead of Australia's opening game of the 2022 T20 World Cup, spinner Adam Zampa rued about not mingling more with the late Shane Warne.

Warne, one of the world's greatest spinners and Australia's highest Test wicket-taker (708), passed away on March 4 in Thailand.

The Victorian died of a suspected heart attack, sending the cricketing fraternity into a state of shock. His state memorial service took place on March 30 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Speaking to The Age, Zampa remembered thinking about how he would eventually connect more with Warne and felt distraught that the moment wouldn't come now. He explained:

"Whenever I saw Shane, there were a couple of times where we’d have a bowl, but there were also a couple of times where I’d just think ‘I can’t do Warnie today.’

"But I always also thought that he’s the kind of person I’d connect with again later, and obviously that won’t happen now. That was something I was pretty sad about, thinking I probably missed my opportunity to connect with Shane as well as I could have."

Zampa added:

"That’s the learning curve, don’t take that for granted. I remember that afternoon sitting, having a beer on my porch and going ‘this sucks, I should have done more, I should have said more."

Warne was an integral part of the Australian side that dominated world cricket for nearly a decade. The former spinner featured in seven Ashes triumphs, taking a total of 195 wickets against England in 36 Tests at an average of 23.26.

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"His leadership for me has changed my game in terms of having that confidence" - Adam Zampa credits Aaron Finch

Adam Zampa. (Image Credits: Getty)

Zampa, who has grown to be Australia's premier white-ball spinner, credited skipper Aaron Finch for his rise. The 30-year-old believes that he can make a difference no matter the situation, saying:

"Finchy said some really nice words in the rooms post-retiring about me as well in particular - that meant a lot to me. His leadership for me has changed my game in terms of having that confidence out there that no matter what I do, what ideas I have or how I execute my ideas, it was always a growth mindset.

"No matter who is down the other end, no matter what my figures are, no matter the situation of the game, I’ll always think I can make a difference."

The leggie bowled impressively in the 2021 T20 World Cup, finishing the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker with 13 scalps in seven games at an average of 12.07.