Adam Zampa

cricketer 

Adam is one of the most respected spin bowlers of his generation, representing South Australia and the Australian National team.  He’s also had success in the 20 Twenty format in some of the most competitive competitions on the globe. Adam played with Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder, and went on to take a highly contested place in the Indian Premier League. He represented Rising Pune Supergiants and Royal Challengers Bangalore.  He’s also played in the Caribbean Premier League and in 2019 England.

  • Experienced international cricketer
  • Broke a record in the prestigious Indian Premier League
  • Leading spin bowler of his generation

By April 2021 he had taken 92 wickets in the One Day Internationals and 43 in T20 Internationals. He’s taken 200 in other T20 matches.

After converting from bowling medium pace as a boy, Adam made the Australian Under 19 team where he played in the U19 World Cup.  By 2012-3 he was playing for New South Wales, taking five wickets on debut.

In the 2016 T20 World Cup he joined the Australia squad and finished as Australia’s highest wicket taker with an economy rate of 6.27.  While playing in the Indian Premier League he broke a tournament record when he took six wickets for just 19 runs.  He’s continues to be an outstanding bowler in India.

In 2022 he took his 100th One Day International wicket and later took a five-wicket haul in an ODI.  He also signed to play in the Hundred in England and Wales.  He was also nominated for world ODI Player of the Year (more here).

In 2023 he became only the second spinner to get four wickets in an ODI against India twice (more here).  Later on that year he became the most successful Aussie spin bowler ever at the World Cup.  He had the most tournament wickets across all nations at group stage and was a key part in Australia making and winning the final (more here).

“I met some animals, some cows, and just thought, ‘This isn’t food. They’re sentient beings who deserve a life as well’.”

Vegan

In mid 2013, Adam went vegan. He was inspired by his father Darren, and Darren’s partner Harriet, and Adam found that he lost weight initially. However, he was inspired by ethical considerations.

“When I moved to South Australia I found that to live a sustainable life you don’t need to eat animals or treat animals the way we do” Adam explained. “Even with dairy, you open your eyes to what the dairy industry is like with eggs and chickens and things like that.

“I met some animals, some cows, and just thought, ‘This isn’t food. They’re sentient beings who deserve a life as well’.”

A future in the sport

The 2019 World Cup was disappointing for Australia and for Adam in particular as he only played four matches following the rise of spin bowler Nathan Lyons. In the 2020-21 Aussie Big Bash he played a key part. The 20 over high-pressure league saw him as a leading bowler taking plenty of wickets and named in the team of the tournament.

He’s planning to keep to the same plans that have been successful for him until now. “I’m not going to change too much,” he said in an interview with News18.com “I’ve had a really good few years in one-day cricket, particularly at the domestic level. I’m pretty consistent, so I’m going to keep it pretty simple and do what I’ve always done, pretty much.”

He also has animals in mind – including his rescued goats.

“Harriet’s mum was driving down from Darwin and this property nearby was going to get rid of this goat,” Zampa said. “So we thought we’d take it on, and it happened to be pregnant. So Harriet [Adam’s partner] helped it give birth and now we’ve got three goats. It’s nice to have something to concentrate on outside of cricket life.”

He’s also appeared on bus adverts across Adelaide, Australia, asking people not to eat animals. “Waking up every day and not having that guilty conscience, knowing that you’re not affecting any animals out there. The environment as well is pretty important to me,” he says.

“When I look at things I just look at the impact it’s [going to] have on people, on animals, on the environment. Your actions always impact someone so, if you can just minimize that impact – it makes a huge difference.”

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