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Australia’s spinner Adam Zampa is still doubtful to play in the second ODI of the series against Pakistan. He could not play the first ODI of the series due to neck spasm.
Reportedly, Zampa was in training on Monday but did not look fully fit to play in the match on Tuesday. The first ODI was played on Saturday and Pakistan won by 5 wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pakistan won under the leadership of Arafat Minhas
Budding left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas headlined Pakistan’s win over Australia in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Fifties from Matthew Short and Matt Renshaw were of no help as Minhas’s 5/32 left Australia all out for a total of 200. Abrar Ahmed also took two wickets and some restrictive bowling. Arafat Minhas became the first Pakistani player to take a five-wicket haul on ODI debut.
On the turn surface, Pakistan’s bowlers did well in keeping the batsmen contained. Of the six bowlers used by Pakistan, five took wickets, and only one conceded runs at an economy rate of more than 4.64 runs per over.
Pakistan’s response was measured. Babar Azam scored the highest score of 69 runs, while Ghazi Ghori provided support by scoring 65 runs. As fate would have it, Minhas also scored the winning runs.
Adam Zampa unsure for second ODI
Adam Zampa missed the first ODI in Rawalpindi due to neck spasm. According to reports, he is not likely to play in the second match also.
On Monday, Zampa was reportedly training but was not at the ideal level of fitness to play the full match.
Zampa’s absence was a major blow to Australia’s chances, especially on a surface that facilitated spin. Although the pitch is not expected to be spin-friendly for the second ODI in Lahore, Zampa will be missed.
In the absence of Zampa, Australia chose left-arm Matthew Kuhnman and leggy Tanvir Sangha as their primary spinners in Rawalpindi. Kuhnman and Sangha performed well, taking 2 wickets for just 60 runs in 20 overs.
Australia also called up part-timers Matthew Short, Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne for spin bowling.
In the absence of Adam Zampa, Australia may also be tempted to use the services of all-rounder Cooper Connolly, but he did not join the team until Saturday, when he returned from his IPL stint with Punjab Kings.
There is still no certainty about Adam Zampa’s return for the second ODI against Pakistan after missing the first match due to neck spasms. He did some running yesterday but was still not walking with ideal freedom.https://t.co/cFaJBzOxtn
– Daniel Cherney (@DanielCherney) June 2, 2026
Adam Zampa in ODI
Zampa’s absence will be missed by Australia mainly because of his experience. Of all the Australian players included in the squad for the ODI series against Pakistan, Adam Zampa is the most experienced, having played 116 matches.
In ODIs, he has taken 196 wickets at an average of 28.6 and economy rate of 5.56. He took his only five-wicket haul in this format in 2022 against New Zealand.
Zampa was also part of the Australian team that won the 2023 ODI World Cup. In that tournament, he became the third player to take four wickets in three consecutive ODI World Cup matches.
Among Australian spinners, only Shane Warne has more ODI wickets than Adam Zampa.
Also read: Mike Hesson silences Pakistan’s pitch critics, reveals truth about South Africa’s conditions for 2027 World Cup
