Adam Zampa’s omission from the Test squad for India was a tough but fair call from the Australian selectors if nothing else because it rewards loyalty.
It would have been a bad look for the selectors to be handing Zampa a ticket to India ahead of Mitchell Swepson, picking a white-ball specialist who barely plays at first-class level over someone who has been toiling away for Queensland on often unfriendly Gabba wickets year after year.
Zampa conceded he felt “flat” when he missed a spot in the 18-man squad for the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series after being given an indication by selectors earlier in the summer that he was a strong chance of getting a call-up.
His quicker pace through the air and greater accuracy over Swepson’s slower deliveries that get more turn are better suited to Indian wickets where very few leg-spinners in the traditional Shane Warne mould prosper.
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Even the late, great spin king himself found the going tough in India because the pitches favour faster bowlers who skid the ball off the pitch rather than those who rip and grip.
Adam Zampa reacts during Australia’s T20 World Cup match against New Zealand. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Zampa has represented Australia 148 times in the two white-ball formats to make him easily the player with the highest number of matches for the national men’s team without getting a baggy green cap.
The 30-year-old from the Warilla club on the NSW South Coast is 40 clear of the next two white-ball specialists – David Hussey and current long-time teammate Marcus Stoinis.
Most men’s matches for Australia without playing a Test
| ODIs | T20s | Total | |
| Adam Zampa | 76 | 72 | 148 |
| David Hussey | 69 | 39 | 108 |
| Marcus Stoinis | 57 | 51 | 108 |
| James Hopes | 84 | 12 | 96 |
| Ian Harvey | 73 | 0 | 73 |
| Kane Richardson | 25 | 35 | 60 |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | 32 | 28 | 60 |
| Shane Lee | 45 | 0 | 45 |
| Dan Christian | 20 | 23 | 43 |
In many ways, Zampa is a victim of circumstances – the pandemic and his ongoing selection for Australia’s ODI and T20 teams, coupled with the annual two-month BBL break in the Sheffield Shield, have meant he’s rarely been available for South Australia or NSW in red-ball fixtures after returning to his home state.
He’s not a globetrotting mercenary like some T20 specialists who travel the world solely to pick up short-term contracts several times a year but he’s racked up plenty of lairy uniforms in stints at (try reading all these in one breath) Melbourne Stars, Welsh Fire, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Jamaica Tallawahs, Rising Pune Supergiants, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder.
Apart from his BBL franchises, these various stops on the cricketing circuit all play their competitions outside the Australian first-class season, it’s not like he’s stuffing his bank account in the UAE rather than rolling his arm over for his state.
Tim David, who has played 10 times more T20 matches than his 16 List A one-dayers, was overlooked even when he was starring in the IPL for at least a year too long by Australian selectors before they finally gave him a run in the national side in the shortest format.
Mitchell Swepson. (Cricket Australia)
Zampa played his first Shield game in almost three years last month as part of his late bid to be included for the Indian assignment and took 3-57 for the Blues in the first innings at the Junction Oval but went wicketless in the second as Victoria came back to win after overcoming a 51-run deficit.
While he’s an elite performer in the T20 and ODI arenas at international level, his first-class record has never demanded a Test spot on the rare occasions when Australia have been looking for a second spinner to pair with Nathan Lyon.
Zampa has taken 108 wickets in 39 outings at 47.9 with only two five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket match.
When you compare that with Swepson, who has 176 scalps from 60 games, and taken five wickets in an innings on five occasions including a 10-wicket match, it’s another sign that the selectors got it right by going with the Queenslander.
Australia have also invested in Swepson – he only managed two wickets across his first four Tests innings in Pakistan last year but found his feet in Sri Lanka with 3-55, 2-34 and 3-103 in the two matches at Galle.
Even though Todd Murphy and Ashton Agar are probably in front of him in the queue to be Lyon’s spinning partner in India, Swepson has done enough to be in the mix.
Zampa said it in jest but perhaps the cricketing gods are punishing Zampa for his “you know what, I actually hate grade cricket” line which lives on in The Grade Cricketer’s podcast intro.
His plight is likely to be replicated more and more in future years.
World-class Australian stars like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and David Warner have conceded that it’s going to be almost impossible for elite player to be able to juggle three formats of international cricket, particularly on top of the ever-growing demands of the IPL.
Veteran fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who has turned his back on millions of extra salary by bypassing the IPL’s lucrative contracts to preserve his body for Australian duty, will be the exception not the rule.
Young all-rounder Cameron Green is determined to be a “triple threat” across the formats but the reality is it won’t take long for that arduous workload to take its toll, both mentally as well as physically, due to cricket’s increasingly crowded calendar.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
What is the WBBL?
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
If they play Agar I hope you’re right and he brains it. I just think batting at 8 he only adds a few more runs but loses lots in the wicket taking. If he plays I hope he kills it, he is a top fielder and comes across as a great bloke, I just don’t see it.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
Not being selective at all. Kuhnemann has a better average, concedes less runs per over (economy rate), takes more wickets per game, concedes less runs per delivery (also economy rate) and has a better strike rate. Thanks for reinforcing my point. When it comes to bowling stats Kuhnemann beats Agar in every one!
DTM
Roar Rookie
Michael, As I said earlier, I rate Kuhnemann highly. However, we are taking two offies (Lyon & Murphy) and a leggie in Swepson. All are front line spinners who basically can't bat. In India you need batting depth - the inclusion of Cameron White was a strange selection as he was a far inferior bowler to other leggies who have gone to India and failed. In my view, there is a likelihood they will also use Travis Head - meaning that we will have 6 bowlers (Cummins, 2nd quick, Green, Lyon, 2nd spinner and Head). Therefore, the 2nd spinner is likely to bowl fewer overs than normally attributed to a spinner. Meaning that he will therefore need to fulfill other roles (score runs and field well). I get the "bits and pieces" criticism but we have traditionally gone into test matches with only 4 bowlers (until Green came along). Green's inclusion means you could almost play without the 2nd quick and either play another batsman or another front line spinner (Murphy or Swepson) or both and leave out Agar.
DTM
Roar Rookie
Please don't tell me you think Jack Leach is a good left arm orthodox bowler - he has 18 wickets from 4 tests in India at 28.7 but averages over 50 in Australia. Leach is England's main spin option - we have Lyon. Agar is a much better batsman and much better fielder than Leach. Remember also that Agar is not selected as a front line spinner but as a spinning all rounder.
Clear as mud
Guest
yeah have the WBBL starting in winter on nights and at grounds not used for footy. it can finish mid-October. 6 weeks of Shield, 50 over games the day before each shield game. aim for first test last week Nov. Shield recommences. ODIs and T20Is mid-late Jan. Shield in parallel. Last round of shield then final - no conflict. season ends end Feb. Intl tours/IPL post-March now we just need some bigger stadia, not being used for footy....?!
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
If it's a keto restaurant, they kill the lamb out the back when you order
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Five metrics. 1. Average. 2. Runs per over. 3. Wickets per game. 4. Runs per delivery. 5. Strike rate. Who's being selective?
Steele
Roar Rookie
Hmm, Atleast you haven’t gone as far as Simoc and just stated that he wasn’t good enough. His stats prove that he was. Evidently I think he did plenty enough for selection and would disagree and say he wasn’t lucky enough.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
I don't doubt that Agar would bring more with the bat than Kuhnemann but in pure bowling terms he isn't better. You have very selective choice of stats. Kuhnemann's get's his wickets at an average of 34.25 and a strike rate of 74.7 at an economy rate of 2.75. Not super impressive but looks better than Agar's average of 42.21, strike rate of 83.0 and economy rate of 3.04. I personally wouldn't pick either of them but from his short career Kuhnemann is the better spinner. Not sure what allowing for more games in WA achieves, it's not like Kuhnemann has an advantage at the green top known as the Gabba. Agar's batting (he's a handy lower order batsmen) shouldn't get him anywhere near the test team.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Is there a way to accommodate Shield cricket better though? There hardly seems to be any Shield games on leading up to tests, so it makes it hard for players not in the side to build a case. Can the BBL be scheduled at a different time of year, or in between shield games?
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Great comment Bush
Paul Suttor
Expert
that's what i was referring to, when he was mid 30s there was a chance of an Adam Voges style call-up but he had a minor slump and someone else got the gig, perhaps it was Voges, cant recall off the top of my head. D-Huss was a very good player but ultimately didn't do enough to get a start
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Help unbalance the Indian batsman, really :laughing:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Good points
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
When l order lamb l ask the waiter "Is it dead?". You should see their reactions
Simoc
Roar Rookie
Ado, you obviously aren't a cricketer. Agar spins the ball the other way ie left armer spins away from the bat (to the right hander) as opposed to leg. Indian batters are mostly right handers so the variation is required. It does need to be test match quality bowling which Agar is capable of but didn't always deliver in Sydney. McDonald has already stated that so Agar is a likely starter. Its always a fine line because really you want your best spinners playing. Swepson is an attcking leggie but the Indians are better at handling spin than our guys.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
But I think it’s a smart move on the part of the selectors Yep, as I wrote in a post that went MIA, the prospect of having a LHO bowling to India's RH heavy batting was irresistible. And if he does get a game, then I hope that the captain gives him a better go than he gave him in Sydney.
Steele
Roar Rookie
Sure, but his brother made a fist of it. Now take a look at Cricinfo and look at their First Class statistics. I remember thinking he was a bit stiff in his twilight years when a lot of class players had retired.
Steele
Roar Rookie
The guys you mentioned played in a golden era, not arguing that they weren’t better. Hussey couldn’t get a game when the national side was struggling, he was very good for Victoria. Also he had a fractionally higher F/C average than his brother, so I think you are selling him short.