Adam Zampa has expressed that he could not bring his best performance to the current IPL season, which led him to withdraw from the tournament.
The Australian spinner has been instrumental in his country’s white-ball achievements over the past two years but admitted to feeling exhausted.
Reasons Adam Zampa Skipped the IPL
Zampa has chosen to take a break and spend time with his family to rejuvenate before the T20 World Cup later this year.
“There are several reasons why the IPL wasn’t right for me this year. The most significant is that it’s a World Cup year, and I’m completely drained from 2023,” Zampa revealed on the Willow Talk podcast.
“I fully participated in last year’s IPL, and the World Cup took place over three months in India as well. I had every intention of playing in the IPL again this year. However, when it came down to it, I realized I couldn’t offer the best version of myself to the Rajasthan Royals, and looking forward to the World Cup, that’s what matters most to me,” he explained.
A Difficult Decision
Withdrawing from the Rajasthan Royals squad was not an easy decision for Zampa.
“It boiled down to prioritizing my body and mental health,” Zampa stated, according to ESPN Cricinfo.
“Adding to that, I have a young family. It’s challenging to spend nine weeks in India under circumstances where I’m also fighting for my spot on the team. It’s not as though I can reassure myself with the prospect of having 14 games to prepare for the World Cup when it might only be two, four, or six games. So, I figured it might be best just to rest and put my family and health first.
“It’s not an easy decision because there’s always that voice in the back of your head asking, ‘what will people say if you pull out of the IPL? What about next time you want to join the IPL? Will people view you differently?’ But once I made the decision, I was not too concerned about it; I knew it was the right one,” he added.
Adam Zampa’s Role in Australia’s World Cup Ambitions
Zampa is considered crucial to Australia’s bowling strategy in all conditions.
“His control of length is the best I’ve seen,” said Daniel Vettori, Australia’s bowling coach, to Cricket.com.au.
“We’re all aware of his skills and variations, but his consistent ability to land the ball precisely gives opponents limited chances to score against him,” Vettori praised.
