Adam Zampa returns to New South Wales after seven years with South Australia
Jun 14, 2020
New South Wales [Australia], June 14 : Australia spinner Adam Zampa on Sunday returned to the New South Wales Blues after playing seven seasons with South Australia.
Zampa has taken 108 international wickets for Australia across 55 ODIs and 30 T20I matches. He made his First-Class debut for the Blues in November 2012, playing three Sheffield Shield matches and four One-Day List A fixtures for NSW before he moved to South Australia.
"The prospect of moving back home and being able to play for the state I started with and where I played my junior cricket means a lot to me," said the 28-year-old said in a statement
"I'm looking forward to testing myself in Shield cricket with a team of this calibre and I'm hoping to get the opportunity of playing with Nathan Lyon down the track. My partner Harriet and I will be able to spend a lot more time with both our families," he added.
The leg-spinner claimed 95 scalps in Sheffield Shield and 51 One-Day wickets for the Redbacks.
"The thing I'm looking forward to the most is playing with some guys that I was really close with when I was a rookie at NSW. The likes of Sean Abbott, Dan Hughes and Harry Conway," Zampa said.
He believes his competitive nature suits the Blues culture.
"I love pushing guys around me to get better and I think NSW cricket teams have always been a great environment for this," the spinner said.
His arrival was welcomed by Blues coach Phil Jaques.
"I'm really excited to have Adam back home in NSW. Adam brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and he will be a great addition to our team. He is a world-class performer and I'm personally excited to be working with him and welcome him into our group," Jaques said.
Zampa fills the gap created by left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe's retirement from first-class cricket earlier this year after NSW decided not to offer him a contract.
Zampa is one of seven Blues contracted with Cricket Australia joining Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and David Warner.
