Adam Zampa, a cornerstone of Australia’s white-ball bowling attack, is set to achieve a significant milestone. He will play his 100th One-Day International (ODI) in the opening match of the series against England on Thursday. While Zampa revels in this accomplishment, he acknowledges that his dream of playing Test cricket, particularly in the Ashes, may be slipping away.
“We have a lot of Test cricket coming up, and I still have some drive to play that format,” Zampa said on Tuesday at Trent Bridge, where the five-match series will commence. “But, in terms of playing in England or playing in Australia against England, I don’t think it’s a possibility.”
With Nathan Lyon firmly entrenched as Australia’s first-choice spinner for over a decade, and rising stars like Todd Murphy, Mitchell Swepson, and Matthew Kuhnemann emerging as potential contenders, Australia’s Test bowling attack appears well-equipped without Zampa. However, the scenario is vastly different in the shorter formats. The 32-year-old Zampa holds the distinction of being Australia’s highest-ranked Twenty20 bowler and their second highest-ranked ODI bowler. His impact in these formats is undeniable.
Out of Zampa’s 99 ODI appearances, 12 have been against England, yielding an impressive record of 26 wickets at an average of 21.57. This achievement will elevate him to the ranks of Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc, who are also set to play their 100th ODI for Australia in this series. Smith and Starc return to the team after being rested from last week’s drawn T20 series against England.
“When you’re a young guy, playing for your country for the first time, you don’t really think about milestones like this,” Zampa reflected on his century of ODI appearances. “But being around for a while now and reaching this achievement, it means a lot to me. I never thought I’d play this much for Australia. So yeah, it’s nice to be playing my 100th ODI. I have my family here – my wife, my son, my parents – it’s going to be a nice occasion.”
