Adam Zampa has stated that he has no intention of participating in the new franchise Twenty20 leagues in the United Arab Emirates or South Africa, and he has emphasised that he is only focused on continuing to represent Australia for the longest amount of time feasible.
The second half of the Big Bash League season overlaps with the second half of the International Twenty20 League (ILT20) tournament that is being played in the United Arab Emirates. Several Australian players, most notably David Warner, have been openly criticized by new teams in the ILT20 tournament (BBL). Zampa, on the other hand, stated unequivocally that he has no intention of participating in any other league even during Australian season so long as he is required to participate in international cricket.
He told ESPNcricinfo, “It’s fantastic that there are so many competitions, but to be honest, that’s probably a long-term thing for me.” “It’s great that there are so many events,” “I am thirty years old, and despite the fact that you are under contract with Australia, I believe – well, I know for a fact that guys won’t acquire No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to play in such competitions.
“My top priority is to be a part of Australia’s cricket team, and playing in the Big Bash League over the summer is really a perk. As long as I continue to do that, the outcomes of those other competitions won’t actually factor into my decisions. I believe that the players have been fairly candid about their views towards the BBL; I know that I have been.
“I continue to adore the BBL. It has played a significant role in my career, and the [overseas player] draught adds a fresh dimension to the experience. Even though there is the entire David Warner scandal going on in the background, if we can find a way to get the best players playing in it, that would certainly be the best thing for the tournament.”
There have been over 150 nominations for overseas players for the player draught that will take place this month, but many of those players will only be available for the first seven or eight games of the season before departing for the United Arab Emirates or South Africa. However, key Australian players are expected to be available for a longer chunk of the tournament than is typical this year, and a number of Test stars, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Steven Smith, are in discussions about the prospect of signing deals.
Zampa has one more year remaining on the contract he has with the Melbourne Stars, and the two parties are now in discussion over an extension. He stated that there is a sliver of a chance for those players to participate in the BBL this year. “We’re doing this because we want more people to watch it on TV and get youngsters involved in the sport, so if we can find a way to get the greatest players to participate in as many games as they can, that will accomplish both of those goals.
“The advent of franchise cricket has made this an unavoidable reality in today’s society. People are going to start watching it if you can get some of the best players in the world to participate, even if it’s just for part of the competition. In a perfect world, you would have specific players available throughout the entirety of the competition; nevertheless, this does not always turn out to be the case.
“[Administrators] have used the length of it as a negotiating card in their favour. We played 14 games over the course of seven or eight weeks. While I don’t mind playing 14 games, I do find that two months can often feel like they are dragging on for no good reason. It is definitely asking a bit too much when you try to get the top players in the world to come over and compete in an entire competition when all you want is for them to play in it. I don’t have a problem with the amount of games, but I believe it would make a lot more sense if they could condense it down into a five- or six-week period where you’ll get the greatest overseas players coming for the whole time. I don’t have a problem with the number of games.”
