Adam Zampa joins Queensland ranks as BBL bidding war looms

State move confirmed Adam Zampa has signed with Queensland for domestic cricket. His BBL club has not been announced yet. It’s unclear which franchise he’ll play for in the upcoming Big Bash season. Zampa is one of Australia’s key white-ball spinners. The Queensland deal locks in his state cricket, but BBL teams are still finalizing squads, so his franchise destination remains unknown. Zampa is a Cricket Australia (CA) contracted player and his limited domestic availability, owing to his heavy Australia white-ball and global franchise commitments, was a source of tension for NSW in recent years after returning to his home state in 2020 following seven seasons with South Australia. He last played a Sheffield Shield game for NSW in 2024 with NSW board member and selector Stuart Clark suggesting CA had forced NSW to pick him against their wishes. New NSW coach Brad Haddin, who was then a commentator, also disagreed with Zampa's selection for that game stating on the Willow Talk Podcast that "he doesn't come to training, he's not part of the NSW system." Zampa last played a List A domestic One-Day Cup game for NSW in September last year but was praised by NSW for sitting out of the One-Day Cup final in February against Tasmania when he was available in order to allow fellow legspinner Tanveer Sangha to play. NSW went on to win the title. Location was the driver Zampa lives in Byron Bay, on the northern NSW border. Brisbane is ∼2 hours drive — where both Queensland Cricket and CA’s national training centre are. Sydney is ∼8 hours drive / 1 hour flight — where NSW train.The move makes training access much easier. Nationally contracted players can switch states with Cricket Australia approval. Jake Weatherald moved from Tasmania to South Australia earlier this year. Zampa has now done the same to Queensland. How much Zampa actually plays for Queensland is unclear. Mitchell Swepson is already Queensland’s first-choice legspinner and state vice-captain in Shield and One-Day cricket when Labuschagne isn’t available. Zampa is also unlikely to play much red-ball cricket after missing Test selection for the Sri Lanka tour in 2025. Australia have white-ball matches against England in November and Zampa could well be absent for the remainder of the One-Day Cup matches in February if he asks for and is given an NOC to play in the SA20 at the conclusion of the BBL. The two competitions do not overlap as much in 2026-27 as the SA20 runs from January 17 to February 21 with the BBL concluding on January 26. BBL clubs are currently under a contracting embargo that is not expected to lift until early August with a number of BBL executives traveling to the Hundred at the back end of July.