No Shield, no problem: Zampa eyes path to Asian Tests

Australia's most successful white-ball bowler of the past five years is hopeful he can be a force on next year's Test tours of the subcontinent even if his absence from the Sheffield Shield continues.

Since Adam Zampa's international debut in 2016, no Australian has taken more wickets across one-day and T20 Internationals, with the leg-spinner establishing himself as the leading spinner in both formats.

Yet like many of Australia's other limited-overs stars, Zampa's success with the white ball has come at the direct expense of his involvement in the Marsh Sheffield Shield.

The 29-year-old has played just seven first-class matches over the past four seasons and none since re-joining his native New South Wales last summer following seven seasons in South Australia.

It appears unlikely the forthcoming summer will be any more forgiving; the T20 World Cup should preclude his involvement in the pre-BBL portion of this summer's Shield fixtures, while there are home ODI and T20s against New Zealand and Sri Lanka to be played immediately after the BBL finishes.

"I definitely still do harbour (Test and first-class) ambitions," Zampa told reporters from St Lucia, where the Aussies are 1-3 down heading into the final match of their T20I series against West Indies on Saturday morning (AEST).

"I'll play any cricket that's available. It's just worked out over the last few years that white ball has been the highlight of that – we've had so many white-ball tours where we just haven't been able to play red-ball cricket.

"Every time I've been available, I've tried to play."

With World Test Championship points set to be up for grabs in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India next year, Zampa is eager to let selectors know he is available even if he continues to miss Shield matches.

Australia have gone almost a decade without a Test series triumph in Asia, a barren stretch that includes just three wins from their past 26 Tests in the spin-friendly conditions.

Coach Justin Langer has said that "we will judge ourselves on whether we're a great cricket team if we beat India in India," citing the famous 2004 series victory there that he was part of during his playing days as his "Mount Everest moment".

"The conversations I'll be having with selectors, particularly once Test tours to the subcontinent start up again is, 'I'm bowling well and I'm keen to be on those tours'," Zampa said.

"I don't think playing Shield cricket is necessarily the be-all and end-all to getting in the Test squad.

"If I'm bowling well at the time when those tours get selected then hopefully I'll be on them."

He will face stiff competition from both Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson to win a berth alongside Test star Nathan Lyon.

Agar has faced the same availability issues as Zampa in recent years due to his involvement with Australian white-ball teams, managing just 15 first-class games in the four years since his most recent Tests in Bangladesh.

Swepson on the other hand had a breakout Shield season last summer in which he took 32 wickets in five games to help Queensland to the title.

Zampa's first-class bowling average of 48.26 does not demand selection but he insists he is a far better red-ball bowler now than his numbers would suggest.

"At the end of the day people do look at your career stats but it probably doesn't reflect he bowler you are at the moment," he said.

"I played a lot of my first-class cricket when I was 21, 22, 23 which is six years ago now – I did have the odd good game but I wasn't consistent enough.

"Whereas I think if I did play first-class cricket now, I know my game well enough and I'm confident to perform at that level.

"There's a lot of things to take into consideration when you're talking about that."