Adam Zampa praises fast bowlers after short ball ploy proves too much for Afghanistan

Zampa dismissed Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi as the Afghans slumped to 77 for five after winning the toss and opting to bat on a quick wicket in Bristol, before returning to dismiss Rashid Khan

Adam Zampa admitted his side’s short ball ploy was part of a wider game plan focused on disrupting Afghanistan’s batsmen, who play much of their cricket on low, subcontinental pitches.

Marcus Stoinis dismissed both Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran with two bouncers in the same over after the pair had put on 83 for the sixth wicket, while Zampa himself had earlier dismissed Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi as the Afghans slumped to 77 for five after winning the toss and opting to bat on a quick wicket in Bristol.

“[There was] a bit of pace in the wicket I think,” Zampa said of his team’s tactics against their enterprising opposition. “With our taller guys playing Afghanistan, who predominantly play in the subcontinent and face a lot of spin, that was our game plan to get it up there.

“We wanted to play an aggressive style of cricket throughout this whole tournament, so to have those three big quicks bowling the way they did helps me as well.”

Although Zampa saw his eight overs cost him 60 runs, 22 of them came in a single over, as Najibullah deposited the leg-spinner for two sixes in the over. However, he returned later to bring the Afghan recovery to a halt; he trapped fellow leg-spinner Rashid Khan in front as he looked to sweep, having hit his previous delivery for a straight six.

“The ball didn't come out as well as I would have liked to today, but that is going to happen,” he confessed of his own form with the ball.

“I already had two wickets under my belt and I knew I had a huge role to play coming up. We were getting towards bowling to the tail, especially after [Stoinis] got those two big wickets.

^{Zampa finished with figures of three for 60.}

“I always forget about [being hit for runs] really quickly and try and keep it simple. I probably over-complicated that over a bit and I knew if I had the opportunity again, I would really simplify it.”

Zampa, who was picked as the sole specialist spinner for Australia ahead of Nathan Lyon, did, however, offer his own hope that he and the Test off-spinner might feature in unison at some stage of the tournament.

“I think me and Nathan have formed a really good partnership,” he said, “so I think we will feature together. I don't know how much, but I think we will.”

He added his own respect for his side’s opponents, describing them as “fearless”, while predicting that the Afghans would win games during the tournament.

“They came out today and played some fearless cricket,” he reflected. “They could have been in their shell, but everyone has been talking about them so much lately about how much they have improved and, to be fair, they have.

“And today they come out and played fearless cricket. They lost wickets at times when they wouldn't have wanted to, but the middle order came out and kept swinging and playing shots.

“If they keep playing cricket like that, particularly with their bowling attack they have got, they will make some upsets this World Cup.”

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