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Zampa wants spin twins to stay for T20 Cup

3 minute read

Adam Zampa wants to keep having Ashton Agar as a spin twin in Australia's white-ball teams, particularly in the lead-up the Twenty20 World Cup.

ADAM ZAMPA of Australia dives for the ball during the One Day International series between India and Australia at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur, India.
ADAM ZAMPA of Australia dives for the ball during the One Day International series between India and Australia at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur, India. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Adam Zampa wants Australia to stick with their spin twin approach for the Twenty20 World Cup after finding himself at home bowling with Ashton Agar.

Zampa and Agar have been Australia's front-line spinners for all of the white-ball summer, with the pair regularly working in tandem in India.

The duo both turn the ball the same way, but Agar's flatter trajectory as a left-arm finger spinner means they offer a point of difference.

Australia employed a dual-spin approach in the lead-up to last year's 50-over World Cup, but the pair didn't play together in the tournament proper.

Big Bash teams have regularly used two spinners this summer in Australia, and Zampa is hopeful he and Agar can stick together for the home tournament in October and November.

"I love bowling with two spinners," Zampa said.

"It's been mentioned that we're really looking at our game plan and how we maybe go about playing two spinners in the World Cup.

"So personally, I love doing it for Australia and I love playing with two wrist spinners; I love playing with Sandeep Lamichhane for the (Melbourne) Stars.

"I enjoy not being the only spinner in the team."

Australia have played with two spinners just five times in T20s between the 2016 World Cup and before this summer, with Glenn Maxwell and D'Arcy Short often used as part-timers.

But the Aussies' approach looks to have changed.

Agar's ability to bat at No.7 and play as a legitimate allrounder has formed part of that shift, particularly given the limited number of balls which lower-order batsman face in T20s.

His batting also places him higher in the pecking order than Nathan Lyon, who still has not given up hope of featuring in the tournament.

Agar took seven wickets in the early-season T20s against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, going at less than a run a ball.

Australia still have 15 more T20s to play before the tournament, including matches against South Africa, New Zealand, England, India and the West Indies.

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