T20 World Cup 2021 | Australia’s spin-attack stacks up well against any other team, believes Adam Zampa

10/22/2021

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Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa believes that their spin attack is as good as any other team at the T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE and Oman. Australia have included three spinners in their 15-member squad in Zampa, Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson, to go with part-time off-breaks of Glenn Maxwell.

Spinners have already had a significant impact at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021, with Shakib Al Hasan leading the wicket-taking charts with nine wickets from three matches.

Adam Zampa, who is expected to be Australia's premier spinner at the tournament, is confident that his team is well equipped in the department. Zampa, who made his T20I debut against South Africa in 2016 ahead of the T20 World Cup in India, has picked 52 wickets from 50 matches at an economy of 7.73. All-rounder Ashton Agar, who'd debuted in the same series as Zampa, is expected to play the spin bowling all-rounder's role, with Mitchell Swepson in the mix should the need arise. Glenn Maxwell too, can chip in with his part-time off-breaks.

Zampa considered himself and the team lucky to have the services of an experienced Agar and Swepson, and believed that the spin-attack is as good as any in the tournament.

"Depending on the wickets here, there'll be a lot of pressure on the spinners to do well," Zampa told AAP.

"We're really lucky to have Ash and I, really experienced options, but also another really good option in Mitchell Swepson. In terms of the spin department, we stack up against any of the other nations to be honest with you. I'm really confident in our ability.

"Obviously the Australian cricket team has always been known for its great fast bowlers, batting has always been really strong. We (spinners) go about our work under the radar a little bit, which we like."

Zampa further opened up on his bond with Agar, stating how the two discuss the spin-bowling dynamics and tactics regularly.

"Both spin bowlers, pretty similar age and pretty similar interests outside of the game," Zampa added. "We get along really well, so naturally we put in a conscious effort to make sure that each other does really well.

"We talk about the game a lot, about spin bowling and tactics."

The 29-year-old further added that the expectations on the spin bowlers have grown a lot since the previous edition in 2016.

"It does feel like a lifetime ago," the 29-year-old said of the 2016 T20 World Cup. "People try to put you under pressure a lot more compared to five years ago. The young guys coming through are just really, really fearless.

"I remember being a young middle-overs spinner, you used to have time to get into a spell and work away."

Australia will start thier campaign against South Africa on Saturday, October 23 in Abu Dhabi.