Surrey have signed Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa for the next four T20 Blast matches.

The veteran campaigner will arrive before Surrey’s women’s and men’s teams face Essex at the Kia Oval on Sunday, July 6.

Zampa is Australia’s highest wicket-taker in the shortest format, with 117 scalps. He was also the first Australian bowler to take 100 wickets in Twenty20 Internationals. Zampa won the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup for the Men in Yellow.

The wily spinner has competed in many T20 leagues throughout the world, including the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League, and Major League Cricket, among others. The 33-year-old has 363 wickets in 298 T20 games, an average of 21.72 and a strike rate of 17.50. His economic rate is also an impressive 7.43.

Adam Zampa stated his delight upon joining Surrey, saying he is excited to learn how much playing for the Brown Caps means.

“I’m excited to get going for Surrey and play in front of the Kia Oval crowd again. “It’s one of the best grounds in the world to play the game, and I know how much playing for Surrey means to the guys, so I’m excited to see what it’s all about,” Zampa told Surrey’s website.

Zampa will also play for Surrey against Gloucestershire in Bristol, followed by home games against Glamorgan on July 11 and Somerset a few days later. If Surrey go to the knockout stages of the T20 Blast, Zampa will be available for the quarter-finals and Finals Day in September.

Australia is currently playing a three-match Test series against Australia. This series will be followed by a five-match T20I series, beginning on July 21 at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

Alec Stewart, High Performance Cricket Advisor at Surrey CCC, was pleased to have Zampa in the lineup. The former England wicketkeeper-batsman hailed Zampa’s on-field abilities while describing him as a fantastic character off the pitch.

“Adam Zampa is one of the world’s best T20 spinners, and I’m thrilled to welcome him to Surrey for the Blast. Stewart commented, “He brings a wealth of experience and technical skills on the pitch, as well as great character off it.”