Last Updated on 4 days ago by Charbel Coorey
Wrist-spinner Adam Zampa has warned his Australian batters of more trial by spin in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after the tourists suffered a 22-run defeat to Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series in Lahore on Thursday.
Chasing 169, the Australian batting unit, in the absence of Glenn Maxwell, captain Mitch Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, and Tim David, succumbed to the Pakistani spin quartet of Shadab Khan (1/25 in 3 overs), Sami Ayub (2/29 in 3 overs), Abrar Ahmed (2/10 in 4 overs), and Mohammad Nawaz (1/25 in 4 overs), eventually falling short by 22 runs.
Adam Zampa spin warning as Australia will play their T20 World Cup Group games in Sri Lanka
Australia are set to play their Group matches in Sri Lanka, with their first two matches taking place in Colombo (against Ireland and Zimbabwe on February 11 and 13, respectively), followed by an encounter with the co-hosts in Pallekele on February 16.
The events in Lahore is an indication of what’s in store for the Australians when they travel to Sri Lanka for the opening stage of the T20 World Cup, feels Zampa.
However, he believes that the return of senior batters in the lineup will hold the Aussies in good stead. He also feels that the challenge in the ongoing series in Pakistan will be a good learning curve for the likes of Matthew Short, Cooper Connolly, Matt Renshaw, and Co.
“Definitely in Sri Lanka. If anything, the challenge in Pakistan is the low bounce; in Sri Lanka, it probably spins and bounces a little bit more. Tonight, I think the challenge was definitely slow off the wicket, and then the low bounce gets you on the bottom of the bat. It’s pretty alien for some of the young guys, particularly in the group,” Zampa said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“Obviously, we’ve got a very different squad in this series as to what we’ll have in the World Cup. A lot more experience comes back then, but exposing those guys in the middle order, particularly to conditions like those tonight, it’s going to be good for them in the long run.
“The conditions will change throughout the World Cup. The first stage of the tournament, particularly in Sri Lanka, the spinners will play a huge role, but it’ll change, definitely in India, where my experience is that it’s totally different — good batting wickets as you’ve seen in the latest series with New Zealand there.”
The Aussies will look to bounce back from the 22-run defeat on Thursday and force a series decider when they take on the hosts in the 2nd T20I at the same venue on Saturday afternoon.
