“Quite frankly, I don’t understand what the comment of Cricket Australia is because we didn’t need to have a robust debate about his selection. His selection was a foregone conclusion that he was in the team. I’m going to ask Lee Germon from Cricket NSW to clear up this by writing to Cricket Australia perhaps and put my board member’s hat on because we don’t understand this.
“What we were told to do, and what’s coming out in the press, is exactly the opposite. They don’t make sense. Either we, as selectors, have got it wrong – did we misunderstand? But I’m pretty clear because I’ve got messages that say Adam Zampa must be in the team and there is no point discussing his selection.”
Adam Zampa during the T20 World Cup.Credit: AP
Zampa pulled up well from the SCG game and demonstrated his capacity to play long-form cricket should the national selectors decide to choose him for next year’s Sri Lanka tour.
Speaking to Cricket Et Al earlier this week, Zampa said: “Four weeks ago I asked Bails (Australian selection chair George Bailey) if I was a chance to go to Sri Lanka.
“Bails said, ‘Yeah, of course.’
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“So, I asked him, ‘Do you want me to play Shield?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, if NSW pick you then great, but if not [then] just play PM’s XI and if we take a leggy to Sri Lanka, then you’re a chance.’
“So, then I went to Maily and said, ‘I’m available for Shield selection against Tasmania.’ If they picked me, great. If not, I’d have the PMs XI game.
“Maily said, ‘Yeah we’ll go full steam ahead, you’re playing.’
“Bails has said to me all along, ‘We can’t push NSW to pick you – it’s up to them’.”
Speaking in Adelaide on Tuesday, Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey said that Zampa’s trajectory of improvement to become one of the world’s leading white ball spinners suggested he was capable of adapting to Test cricket in helpful conditions.
“His cricket has just continued to improve,” Carey said. “He’s got to an age where he knows his game really well. I’ve kept to Adam out here for South Australia and he had some success.
“I haven’t seen a lot of his longer format bowling just through how much he’s had white ball, but if ever does get the opportunity to represent Australia in Test cricket, I think his game is just continuing to improve.”
Tanveer, meanwhile, took five wickets in grade cricket over the weekend after having a barren run of Shield games early in the season on largely unhelpful pitches.