Sharjah, Jan 23 (Representative) Sharjah Warriorz on Thursday announced the signing of Australian international cricketer Adam Zampa, who will replace the Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batterKusal Mendis, for the remainder of the Season 3 of the DP World ILT20. Zampa, who has had a short stint in the ILT20 in its inaugural season, has played close to 400 T20 games in his career. The Australian has an economy rate of less than 8 runs per over, and has bagged 117 wickets in 95 T20Is and 355 wickets in 291 T20s. He has also registered four five-wicket hauls in T20 cricket. The 32-year-old, who is inspired by the legendary Shane Warne, is also the first Australian bowler to bag 100 wickets in T20Is and is currently the most prolific bowler for his national team. He was also a key figure in Australia’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2021, finishing second on the wickets chart with 13 from 7 games at an economy of 5.81, and best figures of 5/19, which was also the best bowling performance in the overall tournament.Interestingly, the 2021 T20 World Cup was played in UAE and Oman, and Zampa’s experience from those matches will surely be beneficial for the Sharjah Warriorz at the ILT20.
The spinner joins the side with plenty of experience in T20 cricket and franchise leagues, and has turned out in the Big Bash League in Australia, the IPL in India, the Caribbean Premier League, The Hundred and the Vitality Blast in UK, and in Major League Cricket in USA.In the Sharjah Warriorz squad, Zampa will join the likes of Adil Rashid, Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Jawadullah, captain Tim Southee and Adam Milne, among others in the bowling unit.“I am delighted to be returning to the UAE and joining the Sharjah Warriorz for the Season 3 of the DP World ILT20. The Warriorz are among the best franchises in the tournament and I am looking forward to working alongside the likes of Adil Rashid, Tim Southee and JP Duminy. I am confident that, we will do well as a team and produce some fantastic performances for our fans in the second half of the tournament,” said Adam Zampa.
“Adam Zampa is a brilliant bowler, and a player that every team would love to have. We are delighted to have him join our squad, and believe that he will be crucial to our progress in the tournament this season. He is one of the most dangerous bowlers in the format, and we are confident that can have a solid impact for the Sharjah Warriorz in the UAE, a country that has happy cricketing memories for him,” said JP Duminy, Coach, Sharjah Warriorz.“The Sharjah Warriorz is elated to have Adam Zampa join the squad for the third season of the ILT20. His never say die attitude is something that always uplifts any team, and the Warriorz would definitely not mind more of the fighting spirit. We look forward to seeing Adam Zampa causing all sorts of problems for the opposition batters,” said Kshemal Waingankar, COO, Sharjah Warriorz.