Adam Zampa’s bid for a surprise spot on Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka appears over with the NSW legspinner to miss the next Sheffield Shield game.
And he has received an apology from Cricket NSW over the firestorm of controversy which engulfed him over the weekend after his inclusion in the side for last week’s Shield game triggered public bickering between Blues hierarchy and Cricket Australia.
NSW selector Stuart Clark claimed the Blues had been told by CA to pick Zampa for the Shield game against Tasmania, but CA denied that was the case.
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, the veteran tweaker was contacted on Monday by Cricket NSW to apologise for the public criticism of his selection ahead of young gun Tanveer Sangha.
Zampa saw the funny side of the drama, changing his social media profile to describe himself as “NSW Sheffield Shield player”.
Clark fanned the flames when, in an interview with the ABC, he said: “When it came to Adam Zampa, we didn’t have a discussion because there was no need to – we were told (by CA) he had to play,” Clark said.
” … We didn’t need to have a robust debate about his selection; his selection was a foregone conclusion that he was in the team.”
An automatic white-ball selection for Australia, he had been pushing for an unlikely berth in the Test squad to tour Sri Lanka in January-February next year.
But after taking 3-96 and 1-44 against Tasmania in the Blues’ Shield loss last weekend, it has emerged Zampa now won’t play for NSW in the four-day fixture against WA starting Friday.
Zampa, who has yet to play a Test match, said during the match against Tasmania the Sri Lankan tour had been on his radar.
Adam Zampa bowls during the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Tasmania at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“I wouldn’t say it’s a total burning desire,” he said of his Test ambitions. “It’s something I’d like to do and challenge myself at.
“If I got to end my career and it didn’t pan out that way, then I’d be OK with it. I might look back one day and feel like maybe I didn’t give it a 100 per cent crack and I feel like playing these games and putting my hand up for the Sri Lanka tour and being keen for that is fine.
“But I’ve been in this position in the past where they’ve talked about three or four spinners going away but it hasn’t gone my way and I’ve been disappointed about it.
“This time might be similar but I’ve dealt with it before so it’s fine.”
with AAP
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