Is Adam Zampa the finest Australian white ball spinner?

By Akanksha - June 12, 2024 - Last updated on Jun 12, 2024 08:14 PM

Is Adam Zampa the finest Australian white ball spinner?

He is the first Australian to collect 100 wickets in Twenty20 Internationals. He is Australia's highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups. He is also second only to Shane Warne regarding most wickets taken by an Australian spinner in one-day internationals.

Adam Zampa's white-ball career is rising in importance with each game. Zampa reached 100 T20I wickets against Namibia on Tuesday night in North Sound, Antigua, with a four-for in his 83rd game, leading Australia to a nine-wicket victory and a berth in the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage.

Coming into the attack with Namibia on 17/3 after six overs, the 32-year-old leg-spinner had the opportunity to rip through the side and expedite the match's finish. He did just that before Namibia collapsed for 72 in 17 overs. He was as precise as ever, deftly alternating between leg-breaks and googlies against a Namibia team unaccustomed to face top-tier leg-spin. The final ball in his unbroken sequence of 4-0-12-4, a big-turning wrong ball that gave No.9 Bernard Scholtz his 100th victim, was the cherry on top.

Zampa has won Player-of-the-Match honours in three straight games. at Australia's 36-run victory against England at Bridgetown, Barbados, his 4-0-28-2 performance was also significant. These performances reflect Zampa's rise to prominence in Australia's white-ball squads in recent years.

Is Adam Zampa Australia’s best ever white ball spinner?#T20WorldCup ? | @westfieldlondon pic.twitter.com/VMoH6bOAK0
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'If you look at his career over the last four or five years, he is our most significant player within our organisation. 'He loves the big moment, the pressure, and he's bowling beautifully right now,' Australia captain Mitch Marsh said at the post-match presentation.

Zampa, who made his international debut in 2016, struggled to find his footing in his early years, maybe burdened down by the strain that has seized every Australian leggie since Warne. Zampa secured his status as Australia's leading spinner in the shorter forms in 2019 after good performances against India and Pakistan in back-to-back series shortly before the ODI World Cup. He grabbed his maiden four-wicket haul that year. He has not looked back since.

He contributed significantly to Australia's T20 World Cup victory in the UAE in 2021, as well as their champagne-popping performance in the ODI World Cup in India last year. Australia's fortunes in the 50-over tournament were intertwined with Zampa's, as seen by their only defeats in the first two games when Zampa was below par. When his performances improved, so did Australia's.

Zampa may not be a big turner of the ball, but never shies away from pitting his skills against the world’s best batters. Dismissing Virat Kohli five times in ODIs and thrice in T20Is underlines that.

At Kensington Oval, for example, the reigning champions were coasting at 73/0 in seven overs in pursuit of 202 when he was brought into the attack against England.