Adam Zampa lifts the lid on decision to back out of $270,000 IPL contract for family
The Aussie World Cup winner made the important decision after months away from home.
Aussie World Cup winner Adam Zampa has opened up on his reason for opting out of the IPL and his $270,000 contract after making the shock announcement last month. Zampa stunned Aussie cricket fans in March when he announced his withdrawal from the Rajasthan Royals franchise in a tough call.
The spinner had just spent months away from home having travelled to India and took the second most wickets im the One Day International World Cup. Australia won the tournament, but Zampa opted to stay with the T20 side and play another three games.
Zampa then took part in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Renegades after the World Cup. This meant leaving his wife and home in Byron Bay again after a long campaign for the national side. After being away from his partner and home for so long, Zampa opted to forego his $270,000 contract and skip the IPL.
And with the IPL taking off, Zampa has finally revealed to the Willow Talk podcast just how important it was for him to remain home, while a number of stars such as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc ventured over to India.
“There are several reasons why the IPL wasn’t for me this year,” Zampa said. "The most important one was the fact that it’s a World Cup year and I’m completely drained from 2023.
“I did the full IPL last year. Obviously, the World Cup was three months in India as well. So I had the best intentions of trying to play the IPL again this year." Zampa said the he is ready and excited for the T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies
Adam Zampa puts family first ahead of IPL contract
Zampa jioned the Royals, but played behind Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal last year. The local spinners were preferred for most of the season and there was also no guaranttee Zampa would play any more games this tournament. And the spinner admitted he figured the rest and spending time with his family was more important.
“So I worked out that maybe putting my family first, putting my body first was better for me," he added. “It’s not an easy decision because you’ve always got that voice in the back of your mind going, ‘Pulling out of the IPL. What are people going to say? "What happens the next time you want to go to the IPL? Do people kind of paint you with that brush?’. But I wasn’t too fussed about it once I made that decision, I knew it was the right one.”
Cricket Australia has encouraged Aussie stars to play in the IPL this year as it will be ideal preparation for the T20 World Cup. Cummins, Starc, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade are all playing in the IPL with nearly all of them all but certain to be taken to the US and West Indies for the World Cup later this year.
But Zampa clearly believes he is better off taking a break and coming back fresh and firing. Zampa is by far and away Australia's No.1 spinner and will be certain of a role in the starting XI at the World Cup.
