Mitchell Johnson: Adam Zampa must commit to the Sheffield Shield if he’s serious about playing Test cricket

One of the more interesting cricket stories doing the rounds has been spinner Adam Zampa revealing he thought he would be part of the Test tour to India because selectors told him six weeks ago he was going to be a “very good chance”.

“But I think potentially last minute that was a change of mind,” Zampa said.

Australia’s premier white-ball spinner is understandably disappointed.

But at the same time it seems he is yet to commit to being available for three Sheffield Shield games for New South Wales before he has to depart for the white-ball segment of the India tour.

Which makes no sense at all.

Camera Icon Zampa has been Australia’s premier white-ball spinner for some time. Credit: James Elsby/AP

If Zampa believes he is good enough to be a Test bowler, then now is the time to back up his words with some action and pull on the whites. Otherwise he’s just sulking.

These shield games are a perfect opportunity and if Zampa doesn’t play in them, then you know he doesn’t really want to play Test cricket.

And forget the fact there are no more Test tours to the subcontinent in the next couple of years. Yes, we take more spinners on these tours but you shouldn’t be relying on conditions to get you a game.

Nathan Lyon is probably coming towards the end and Mitch Swepson hasn’t taken hold of anything yet. Zampa should commit to playing shield cricket whenever he is available and give it a genuine crack. But I’ve got a feeling he won’t put his hand up for selection.

Zampa has made a very successful career as a white-ball specialist and it looks like maintaining that will be his priority with 50-over and T20 World Cups looming over the next 18 months.

I’ve got some sympathy for Zampa if he was led up the garden path a little bit by the selectors. But with finger spinners generally effective in India, they opted for only one wrist spinner in the squad and Swepson was the right call. He has a sustained run of form on the board in shield cricket.

The issue of whether players could manage all three formats began to rear towards the back end of my career. I began to sit out a bit of the short-form stuff. I was never going to miss playing Test cricket. That was my priority.

Camera Icon Adam Zampa has been at the centre of a dramatic Big Bash season. Credit: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

Speaking of playing three formats, Steve Smith is no doubt keen to continue playing all of them for Australia.

And he would have been delighted with his century in the Big Bash League this week, coming after he was benched for most of the recent T20 World Cup.

Smith is a class act. To be able to score a century off 56 balls after a summer spent playing Test cricket underlines it yet again.

Though I don’t think 33-year-old Smith is the answer to replacing the struggling Aaron Finch at the top of the order in Australia’s T20 team.

He’s a great batsman but I just don’t think he’s in Australia’s best XI in the T20 format.

The MCC clarified the Mankad law this week, making it clearer a bowler couldn’t do it once their arm had reached the point when they would normally be expected to release the ball.

What the cricket world is still waiting on is a culture change. Mankads do involve unsportsmanlike play – from cheating batsmen trying to gain an unfair advantage.

England star Jos Buttler was at the centre of a global furore in 2019 when Ravichandran Ashwin Mankaded him during an IPL match.

It was no coincidence that Buttler found himself at the centre of the incident. He has long been the worst offender in world cricket for backing up too far. I know it used to frustrate me when playing against him and there’s no way he’s not doing it deliberately.

Camera Icon Mankad in Indian Premier League Ravi Ashwin runs out Jos Buttler. Credit: Twitter/Twitter

Non-strikers leaving their crease early has become more common in the Twenty20 era. They are doing it with the aim of getting back for a quick two.

Everyone has an opinion on the Mankad – even the appropriateness of its name. What should be beyond dispute is that everyone needs to play by the rules.

Run-outs at the non-strikers end are within the laws. I don’t like that they are now happening so often, but Mankads are not the bowlers’ fault and any anger towards them is totally misplaced.

Bowlers can have a wicket taken from them for being 1cm over the line and every delivery gets checked now.

Batsmen need to start playing by the rules as well. They should be aware of where they are and know they are supposed to be in their crease behind the line at the release point.

Bowlers don’t want to do it. But if batsmen are going to cheat in that situation then it’s game on. It’s fair play. And I don’t understand how it can be any other way.