Refreshed, relaxed Zampa has Kiwis in his sights

Adam Zampa believes a relaxed and refreshed Australia have made the most of an extended lead-up for their T20 series in New Zealand, admitting he wasn't keen for such a long break after the KFC BBL.

Zampa's Melbourne Stars failed to make the BBL finals, meaning his most recent match was on January 26.

The leg-spinner's next game will be when Australia are released from quarantine for Monday's clash with New Zealand in Christchurch, which will mark the first chapter of a five-match T20 series.

"It's probably not the most ideal situation," Zampa told reporters.

"Ideally you come off the Big Bash and you only have a few days before your first game over here.

"But you've got to make the most of a bit of downtime and time to yourself, which we don't get too often.

"It's been a relaxed build up ... we've had a couple of main training sessions, but most guys have been left to their own devices."

Zampa is among the members of the current T20 squad who have spent most of the past six months in biosecurity bubbles of varying severity, having taken part in last year's Indian Premier League after Australia's limited-overs tour of England.

The 28-year-old, who has featured in 97 white-ball games for Australia, suggested the coming matches would serve as an ideal tune-up for this year's T20 World Cup.

"New Zealand play a really attacking brand of cricket," he said.

"Usually you play three or two (T20s) and some one-dayers as well - to be able to just concentrate on this one format, it's going to be really good for our group.

"We've played really good T20 cricket for a while now and I just think this will be a good test for some of the younger guys."

That inexperienced contingent includes fellow leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha, although Zampa doubted whether the teenager will debut for Australia on this tour.

"I actually don't see us playing together this series. We've got Ashton Agar, who is fit and one of the best T20 bowlers in the world," Zampa said.

"I do like playing with another leg-spinner, but Ash and I have had a really good relationship for a long time and work really well together.

"Tanveer's got amazing skills ... got a really good head on his shoulders, he's going to have a pretty good career."

Qantas T20I tour of New Zealand 2021

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Hamish Bennett, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, *Martin Guptill (pending fitness test), Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. *Finn Allen (on stand-by for Guptill)

1st T20: February 22, Hagley Oval, Christchurch, 5pm AEDT

2nd T20: February 25, University of Otago Oval, Dunedin, 12noon AEDT

3rd T20: March 03, Sky Stadium, Wellington, 5pm AEDT

4th T20: March 05, Eden Park, Auckland, 5pm AEDT

5th T20: March 07, Bay Oval, Tauranga, 12noon AEDT

All matches will be shown live in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo