Why Adam Zampa should be given an opportunity in the Australian Test team

Adam Zampa
A bright young prospect for Test cricket

In the aftermath of the embarrassing defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, the Australian think tank has decided to build a group of spinners before the Indian tour. Adam Zampa, the young leg-spinner is part of this group. This is a welcome move, but then has the horse already been bolted?

When Stephen O'Keefe was injured during the first Test match against Sri Lanka, Adam Zampa was playing in the Caribbean Premier League for the Guyana Amazon Warriors and was one of the finds of the season. This was not a one-off performance from the leg-spinner, as he was one of the key performers for the Rising Pune Supergiants and then was among the wickets in the Tri-series involving West Indies and South Africa. However, the selectors did not find him ready for Test matches and thus Jon Holland was given a go-ahead in place of him. Have Australia missed a trick then by not going in for the jugular?

While Holland was an honest trier he never looked the part in the 2 Test matches, and this is a major cause of worry for Australia going forward, more so with the Indian tour coming up. Wrist spinners are out and out match-winners, and if the captain is willing to take the punt and give the leg spinners the confidence to express themselves, results are bound to fall in place.

Also read: 5 things that Australia should do to overcome their spin woes

And it is not as if Zampa will be plucked out of oblivion, he has been a decent performer in International cricket. It could be argued that all his performances have come with the white ball, but then there have been instances when selectors have invested in young talents purely on the basis of the promise shown, and Zampa fits that bill perfectly.

Harsh lessons are learnt after disaster strikes, and this is exactly where Australia find themselves after this abject display in Sri Lanka. Coach Darren Lehmann has clearly stated that the selection policies will have to be looked into before the team embarks on another frontier in India. Zampa, who has sufficient experience of playing in India should be earmarked for the future and the selectors should give him the confidence and a long rope.

After the retirement of Shane Warne, Australia never found a wrist spinner to fill the void and so many different players have been tried without any result, and this has prompted a merry go round to find the proper replacement. While Nathan Lyon has come in as the leading off-spinner, there are few who can partner him. While a solitary spinner suffices in Australian conditions, they are exposed when they tour the Asian subcontinent. So far, the selectors have been quite content in picking two spinners but then now they will have to look into this ploy.

With 53 wickets in 22 First class matches, Zampa has not set the stage on fire with the red ball, but then the conditions in Australia are far from favourable for spin bowlers, more so for leg spinners. Also, the fact that the young bowler has enjoyed considerable success in conditions which are favourable to spin bowlers is a testament to the fact that he has the skills required to prise out wickets at the International level.

The fact that after only three and a half years, the young leg-spinner has found places to showcase his skills is one imposing statement to ignore. His stocks continue to grow and he has won some rave reviews from Rising Pune Supergiants, and now the Guyana Amazon Warriors. The ability to back a player purely on the basis of instinct is a inherent quality of the selectors, and one hopes that they give this New South Welshman a nod at a time in his career when he is growing.

This new season is a big one for Zampa, and the man himself is aware of the fact that he has to do much more with the red ball to spring into contention. By all means, the pitches prepared in Australia for this season could assist spinners keeping in mind the Indian tour and this is the opportunity that he should latch on to with both hands.

Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download Cric Rocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more!

Quick Links

Edited by Staff Editor