Zampa prepares for ODI century with no Ashes regrets
Australia’s Adam Zampa has said he is at peace with the idea that he will never experience Ashes cricket even though facing England has been one of the highlights of his glittering white-ball career.
The leg-spinner has been a cornerstone of two World Cup-winning sides in the past year, taking the 50-over title in India last November and the T20 crown in Barbados this summer, and is on the cusp of celebrating his 100th ODI cap.
He will reach that milestone at Trent Bridge on Thursday, the first of a five-match series, but while he still hankers to play a Test, at the age of 32 he appears to have given up any hope of taking on the old enemy in the five-day arena.
With Nathan Lyon having locked down the role of first-choice spinner for more than a decade, and the likes of Todd Murphy, Mitchell Swepson and Matthew Kuhnemann all ahead in the pecking order, that is a contest he is resigned to watching from afar.
“Realistically, I’m probably not going to play in an Ashes in my career,” he said. “I’m OK with that.
“We have lots of Test cricket and there’s still a bit of drive to play that but, in terms of playing in England or playing in Australia against England, I don’t think it’s a possibility (for me).
“I think rivalry in any sport gives depth to the games, you can see that with the Ashes. It’s a little bit different to this series in particular, but rivalry is important and the one against England is always great.
“Winning and beating England is always a good feeling and there’s another opportunity in the next five games to hopefully go home with a trophy.”
Twelve of Zampa’s 99 caps to date have come against England, with a handy record of 26 wickets at 21.57. He will become the third member of the current squad to reach a century of appearances, following former captain Steve Smith and seamer Mitchell Starc – both back in the fray after being rested from the drawn T20 series.
“When you look back as a young guy, playing for your country for the first time, it’s not something you really think about. But being around for a while now and getting to this achievement, it means a lot to me,” he said.
“I never thought I’d play this much for Australia. So yeah, it’s great to be playing that hundredth ODI. I have my family here – my wife, my son, my parents – it’s going to be a nice occasion.”
As for how far he could extend his time at the top, with two World Cup defences on the horizon in 2026 and 2027, he added: “While I’m enjoying playing for Australia, I feel like I’m bowling good enough and want to improve. I’ll just continue to roll through.
“I really love playing for this group, under this coaching staff. While I’m enjoying it, there’s no reason to think about an end date.”
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