Limited-overs but unlimited ambition

Adam Zampa says he is not yet ready for Test cricket but hopes to cement his spot in Australia's limited overs teams as he prepares to head to Sri Lanka.

Zampa is back in Adelaide for a rare few days at home, having just finished a stint in the Caribbean Premier League, where he admitted to picking the brain of Kumar Sangakkara about what to expect.

"I actually spoke to Sangakkara about (conditions in Sri Lanka) during the CPL, and he said probably don't expect what you see during the Test series," Zampa told reporters at the Adelaide Oval today.

"But in seeing what's happened during the Test series, we might see some spinning wickets."

Australia's Test batsman have come unstuck in spectacular fashion against Sri Lanka's spinners to surrender the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy following defeats in Kandy and Galle. The third and final Test, in Colombo, where another dry pitch described by the home side's skipper Angelo Mathews as a "spinners' paradise", starts tomorrow.

Australia's batsmen would not doubt welcome the chance to play on the harder, flatter wickets more typical of one-day cricket, but Zampa is understandably excited about the prospect of plenty of turn on offer.

"It is a big opportunity for me (and) looking at next six months or so, there's quite a lot of white ball cricket," Zampa said.

"So it's a good opportunity for me to cement my spot even more in that one-day and Twenty20 side and continue to play for Australia."

Such has been the impact of spinners on the series, when Stephen O'Keefe injured his hamstring in the first Test and was forced to fly home, there was a groundswell of support for the young blonde leg-spinner with a fiercely competitive streak to be named as O’Keefe’s replacement.

But while Zampa said he was flattered to be in the public discussion, he did not believe he was seriously considered as a Test option by Australia's selectors.

"It's nice to get that recognition (but) they (selectors) have made it pretty obvious they want experience," Zampa said.

And while he knows his immediate future in the national set-up lies in coloured clothing, he is desperate to push his case with the red ball this summer too.

"I've got to get quite a few more games under my belt … I've only played three or four four-dayers in the last 12 months," the 24-year-old said.

"And there's an India tour coming up … (Sheffield) Shield cricket this year is going to be big for me.

Those who argued against Zampa being fast-tracked into the Test team were quick to point to his first-class record. In 22 matches, Zampa has taken 53 wickets at the unflattering average of 50.77.

In contrast, he has made an immediate impact in limited overs cricket with Australia, taking 13 wickets in his first seven matches, and in all T20 cricket he boasts an impressive average of 20.36 with a best return of 6-19.

"It's been made pretty obvious that I’m predominately white-ball cricket at the moment," Zampa said of his sort-term national future.

"But I want to show that I've actually improved as a bowler in the past 12 months.

"I haven't had a great opportunity but in Shield cricket last year I felt like I bowled really well.

"But with our (the West End Redbacks') bowling attack and the way the wickets were going last year I actually didn't get too much of an opportunity.

"I'm hoping to get some suitable conditions this year and I want to try and win some games for South Australia before I'm ready to play for Australia."