Adam Zampa bats for more spin-friendly Sheffield Shield pitches in Australia 

Zampa believes surfaces down under are heavily skewed in favour of pacers.

Adam Zampa | GettyAdam Zampa has called for a review of surfaces used at the domestic first-class level in Australia. The leg-spinner believes drop-in pitches with excessive grass have led to a significant decline in the number of quality spin bowling options available in the Sheffield Shield. 

Outside of SCG and MCG, where New South Wales and Victoria tend to produce slightly dryish pitches, more help needs to be there for spinners to flourish and have an equal say in the matter along with the fast bowlers. 

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"It’s really hard to get a wicket now that’s a day four turner with any rough," Zampa, 28, told reporters in a video call on Tuesday (May 12), bringing the drop-ins used across the country under the scanner.

"(Spin has) basically been taken out of the game now except for maybe the SCG for example - sometimes - if the weather suits as well."

"We’ve had to play a different role in first-class cricket, that’s for sure."

Zampa reckons administrators down under should look to help the spinners like they did to batsmen by introducing the red dukes in first-class cricket. 

"I don’t know if it has to be every wicket but I think there has to be some sort of emphasis in bringing spin bowlers back into the game, particularly on day four as well," said Australia's white-ball specialist, who is also pushing for a move to NSW from South Australia, where he feels frustrated with limited opportunities. 

Contractual arrangements for the move are currently on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Taking confidence from the improvement he has shown in recent years, Zampa wishes to be part of Australia's plans for tours to the subcontinent, where back-up options become necessary to incumbent Nathan Lyon. 

"Over the last few years it’s probably really easy for people to pinpoint me as a while-ball bowler," he said. "I really want to change people’s perceptions."

(Inputs from Reuters)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 12 May, 2020

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