Ahead of the T20 World Cup,for which members of the Australian squad have begun arriving in Trinidad,Zampa inked a two-year Cricket Australia contract. By doing so,he echoed the sentiments of most Australian followers of the game by concluding the T20 mercenary world is not his priority.
Adam Zampa in action for Australia.Getty
Wanting to get as much cricket as possible to prepare himself,Zampa returned to the IPL in 2023 after a long sabbatical,and also played Major League Cricket in the United States and the Hundred in England.
He was left feeling,if not underwhelmed,then much more appreciative of the “buzz” he gets from international competition,particularly in a national team run calmly and inclusively by Pat Cummins,Mitch Marsh and head coach Andrew McDonald.
“There’s always a lot of chat about ‘can you play franchise cricket all year round’ and it was something I had thought about – at what age do I get through to try to then play a bit of franchise cricket,” Zampa told this masthead. “But after 2023 and winning the World Cup and all that,and having a young family now as well,I’ve realised I want to play cricket for as long as I can,and instead of trying to play for nine or 10 months of the year,it’s play for six or seven.
“I’ve really come to love playing for Australia. I always loved it,but playing under Dan Vettori,Andrew McDonald and Pat and Mitch as captains,it is just so enjoyable. I make good money playing for Australia and I would love to prioritise playing for Australia and being with my family.
“I don’t get enough out of franchise cricket. It’s great for certain aspects of your life,and it can be really enjoyable,but it’s not like being in the Aussie dressing room,not for me anyway. I don’t get the same buzz out of it.”
While a number of his Australian teammates have plied their trade in this year’s IPL – including Pat Cummins and Travis Head (both Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Mitchell Starc (Kolkata Knight Riders) who are playing in the final in the early hours of Monday morning (AEDT) – Zampa has recharged his batteries.
The decision to stay out of the IPL has allowed him the luxury of several months at home in Bangalow,near Byron Bay,on a property where he and his wife Hattie are building a house.
“The last three months have probably been the best three months of my life,” Zampa said earnestly. “I think if I’d gone to the IPL and I was home now for a few days I think I’d be really dreading going. I haven’t had a break like this since my son was born,and that’s different to what I’ve had now. It gives me a bit of an idea of what life could look like after cricket,and it does excite me. But still a long way away I think.
“[The property] is big enough for it to be enough work,but small enough for the work around here to feel like it’s a bit of a hobby. Working on the gardens,we’re currently building a house,working on my body as well,got a gym at home now,and I feel like that’s made a bit of a difference.”
In Trinidad and then Barbados for the team’s first Cup games,Zampa will reconnect with Ashton Agar,the left-arm spinner who he has worked with neatly for some time – albeit not in either of the 2021 or 2023 World Cup wins. Agar was in the squad but not the first team for 2021 in the UAE,and last year injury ruled him out.
“I feel like there’s a little bit of unfinished business,” Zampa said. “Ash missed out on the last World Cup,he didn’t play during the World Cup we won in Dubai,and I really think this is his World Cup to put his stamp on.
“I think the wickets are going to suit him,and I think he can play a major role. We feed off each other,we make each other train better,we think about the game a lot more when we’re around each other. So it’s great to have him back.”
One absentee from the squad is Tanveer Sangha,who was in contention to be a travelling reserve until he suffered a hip flexor problem during the squad’s Brisbane training camp.
Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar together in 2016.Getty
Nevertheless,Zampa has no doubt that the 22-year-old is the future of Australian wrist spin.
“He’s had a lot of niggles and injuries in the last couple of years that he’s found it hard to get any continuous cricket in,but he’s years ahead of where I was at his age,” Zampa said. “Even now,I think ‘I wish I could do that’ and ‘I wish I had that part of his bowling’. He’s really smart and certainly going to have a long career for Australia.
“I’m pretty glad that I’m 10 years older than him,not five because I feel like there’d be a time where I’d be in the classifieds[looking for a new job].
“I’m 32 now and the way things are going,hopefully I get a bit more time playing for Australia – but I won’t be 38 and trying to hold on because I know Tanveer is going to be pretty special.”
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