Source : ABC NEWS
Adam Zampa says suggestions Australia and its players do not care about T20 cricket are “totally false” after a disappointing World Cup campaign.
The 33-year-old admitted to feeling “hollow” and not yet wanting to board the plane home after Mitch Marsh’s side got knocked out in the prelims of a World Cup for the first time in 17 years.
Not even a final-day flourish against cricketing minnows Oman, in which he took four wickets and the man-of-the-match award to set up a nine-wicket win, could console Zampa.
While being disappointed at the result, Zampa does not believe the performance is an indicator of the squad’s care-factor for the shortest format of the game.
“The coaches and the staff probably put as much time into that [T20 cricket] than they would into Test cricket — potentially even more,” he said.
“I’m particularly disappointed. I’m not ready to fly home tomorrow, that’s for sure.
“You’d prefer to have the wickets than not, but it’s probably the worst feeling after getting four wickets that I’ve ever had.
“I reckon I’d probably be feeling exactly the same if I got none-for tonight. Yeah, feeling pretty hollow, to be honest.“
Saying it had been “a tough few days” after the defeat to Sri Lanka effectively doomed Australia to an early exit, Zampa added that both he and the team had higher expectations of themselves for the World Cup.
“After what we’ve built as a group over the last two years, the way we’ve played some really good bilateral cricket, to be sitting here right now, knowing I’m flying home tomorrow, I didn’t envision this, that’s for sure. So it’s a flat feeling,” he said.
Zampa said Australia’s players had not spoken much about the disappointing tournament, though he expected a full review after they returned home.
He was particularly harsh on himself about the Sri Lanka loss during which he was hit for 41 off four wicketless overs as the co-hosts coasted home by eight wickets at Pallekele.
“Looking back, I think I could have done more in that Sri Lanka game. My contribution to that game was not where I wanted it to be and I’m not happy with it,” he said.
“It’s definitely my job to seal wickets through the middle, and I was able to do that in a couple of games, and not in some others.
“We built something over the last couple of years, and we’ve all got to play our roles in big games, and, unfortunately, we couldn’t get it done when it mattered.
“We’re a good team, but then results like this… it’s just hard to fathom.”
Zampa said Australia had under-performed at the last two T20 World Cups since winning the tournament in 2021.
“I guess we’re renowned for being a good tournament team, but since we won in 2021, really disappointing results in 2022 and 2024. Those two teams probably should have given it a nudge and got close to winning it,” he said.
AAP
