Wrist spin has been the flavour of limited-overs cricket over the last couple of years, and all top cricketing nations at least have one good leggie in their XI.
Yet Australia, despite having a good one in their midst in Adam Zampa, have been reluctant to give him a sustained run in the team. Zampa was also left out of the XI in the ten-over slogfest last week against South Africa, which Australia lost by 21 runs.
In the first T20I against India, Adam Zampa once again showed the kind of value he can add to the Australian limited-overs bowling attack, especially in the middle overs.
When he was brought on the bowl by Aaron Finch, the game was in balance with India in the ascendancy. Zampa mixed pace and variations brilliantly to not only put breaks on the scoring but also pick up the crucial wickets of Indian captain Virat Kohli and dangerous KL Rahul to finish with 2/22 in four overs.
It was a brilliant spell when you consider the control he had pitching the ball exactly where he wanted despite bowling with a wet ball.
Zampa has been dealt unfairly over the last few years. Leg spinners are an attacking option in the shorter formats but at the same time can be taken for runs as well on these flat wickets. The captain and the team management need to understand the same and keep the faith on the spinner to deliver matchwinning performances.
(AAP Image/SNPA, John Cowpland)
Adam Zampa’s T20I record is phenomenal. He has 21 wickets at 18.09 at an economy rate of 6.03. His ODI record pales in comparison, but I would put that down to the stop-start career he has had so far in that format.
Zampa has never had a consistent run in ODIs, and even when he has played he averages only seven overs a game. This means that he has not been allowed to complete his quota in many of the 33 innings he has bowled in.
Steven Smith particularly was extremely poor in handling spinners in limited-overs games and often took the young leggie out of the attack as soon as the opposition went after the spinner. Leg spin is a difficult art and the bowlers need confidence and patience from their captains.
Aaron Finch needs to keep that in mind, as with the right amount of backing and confidence Zampa will provide the edge the Australian team so badly needs to put their world cup campaign on track.
Adam Zampa is a must in the Australian limited-overs set-up. I hope Aaron Finch and the team management realise the same. This is time to back him and give him a consistent run in the team, as with world cup around the corner, he needs to play as many games as possible.
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
Zampa had a good JLT cup and on the evidence of these 2 T20I games, I feel that he has finally turned a corner. I just hope the selectors give him consistent run now. He will be good for Australia in the long run.
Rachel
Guest
Well thank you ! I’m not professional but feel it now after reading this because I’ve been tweeting replies as such, many many times...Zampa has a lot to give ???????????? just give him consistency of opportunity
Paul
Roar Guru
I guess what I'm getting at is, Zampa and the selectors should be on a two way street. If the selectors give him a run of chances, he HAS to become more consistent. I agree spinners take time to mature, just look at Lyons, but it doesn't mean this guy gets unlimited opportunities. Right now, he bowls well in maybe 4 games out of 10. If I'm a selector and giving him opportunities, I want him to do that in at least 6 games out of 10. That shows to me he's improving
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
I understand where you are coming from but I think spinners mature with age. I feel that the first T20I was the best I have seen him bowl. He looked brilliant and had amazing control over the leggies. To bowl to Virat, Rahul and Dhawan and still end up giving only 5.5 runs an over is brilliant. I think Australia should stick with him for LOIs. For Tests though there is Lyon and then Pope probably in the future.
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
Because the selections are wrong. Tom Cooper averaged 49 at a strike rate of 140 last year yet doesn't even get a look in. He also plays a endless variety of shots.Mcdermott's selection only makes sense to me if he is the wicket keeper. If selectors are so scared of playing 2 spinners then play a second all round paceman.
Paul
Roar Guru
Giri, I think elements of what you've written are right but I have a different take on Zampa. Australians have had had exactly two genuine Test quality spinners in the past 50 years in Warne & Lyon. The rest who have been tried, have all had their moments, but none have consistently displayed the ability to get sides out. If you bring this down to Shield & short game level, captains have guys like Zampa, Bennett, Agar, etc, who lack consistency, therefore the captains don't know how to manage them. I look at Pakistan and India and they struggle with how to manage their quick bowlers, which is a large part of the reason they have issues away from home - captains simply don't know how to use them effectively. Zampa is very talented and would be invaluable in England, but we need to Zampa needs to be more consistent too. Yes he might get hammered on dead flat tracks, but when he bowls at less than Test quality, he gifts at least two "hit me" balls per over. If he could bring that down to one every two or even three overs, he'd be a lock for the World Cup and the Ashes, should the Aussies want to play two spinners.
Basil M
Roar Rookie
I look forward every day to your ever changing team selections
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
Prefered lineup Carey (wk) Finch Lynn Maxwell Cooper Stoinis Christian Agar NCN Stanlake/Dorff Zampa
JamesH
Roar Guru
We need to persist with Zampa and Agar in the same side. Stoinis seems to have the 5th bowling spot locked away for the moment (with Maxwell chipping in as a part timer) so we can afford two spinners and two quicks. Most limited overs decks these days are dead flat so Agar will provide more value than a third paceman will. Hopefully Zampa's effort on Wednesday encourages Finch to show more faith in him going forward. For our number one spinner (according to the selectors) he's been treated pretty poorly so far this summer. He took 0/32 from 6 overs (econ 5.33) in Hobart and Finch took him off. From that point, all the pacemen got hammered.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
In my opinion, with comparison to other countries outside sub-continent, aussies have some excellent spin bowling cartel. I have seen some of them who are impressive. Lyon & SOK being prime there is zampa, swepson, agar and then there is some talk about loyd pope & liam bowe. I am not saying anyone of them is going to be next shane warne or next murali. But if you compare them with other spinners that are doing well(primarily from sub continent) they are not far behind in quality but in experience. When we compare spinners of sub-continent to spinners those are outsiders in light of average,strike rate we need to keep in mind that we are talking about bowlers bowling on surfaces that are not much helpful to spinners. Specially those are in australia are baked flat road that neither helps spinners nor seam swing bowlers(sayers,bird) or now a days don't even have that pace that it used to have. we have seen Lyon, SOK running through strong indian batting line up, If they get proper practice and proper condition , then they can develop their game further. We have seen what an spinner lyon has become. For that ,team management need to encourage them instead on changing & chopping of players who can actually deliver instead of sticking to tested mediocre players.