Sharjah: Australia, who take on Pakistan in a five match One-day series from Friday, want to give their bowlers a decent run ahead of the ICC World Cup in May-July. The first match is scheduled at the Sharjah Stadium from 2pm on Friday.
Fast bowler Kane Richardson, after recovering from a side injury that cut short his tour of India, has rejoined the team in Dubai. Leg spinner Adam Zampa, following his creditable show against India in Australia’s 3-2 win, is working hard to enhance his effectiveness in one-day cricket.
Speaking about his return to the team, Richardson said: “I thought I was done for the season. So it’s always nice to get a positive and be able to come back and play some sort of cricket. It could have been a lot worse but also disappointing to miss the last tour.”
Richardson, who generates good pace and produces effective yorkers, now wants to give his best and help Australia defeat Pakistan. “We climbed the mountain of (beating) India and now it’s about backing it up against Pakistan who are another quality side. We bring massive momentum into this series, but you want to back it up. It’s professional sport, you want to win every game and this is a huge series going into the World Cup,” he said.
Zampa too revealed that the confidence of his team is on the up. “Our confidence is high, but we have spoken about not taking Pakistan easy. They are one of the best teams in the world in white ball cricket at the moment. It’s important to us in our preparations for the World Cup. But it’s also important to keep that momentum going. It’s going to be a good series.”
Zampa had bagged 11 wickets from five games in the India series, which included two three-wicket spells. “It’s nice to make an impact, particularly in the middle overs. I am trying to figure out my role in ODI cricket. After that (India) series, I feel pretty confident about my role in the team,” said Zampa.
Zampa, who will turn 27 on the last match of this five-day series on March 31 in Dubai, knows that highs and lows are part of the game. “Throughout my short career, I have found that it can change really quickly. I started my career really well but I have had some ups and downs. I am trying to build on the momentum I have. It will be pretty great, but honestly, I know what’s it like to be in and out of the team and to be dropped from the squad altogether.”
The ticket sales for the two one-dayers on March 22 and 24 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium are in full swing. Tickets for the matches are being sold online at Q-Tickets.com; Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Delhi Nihari.
