LAHORE: Karachi Kings off-spinner Adam Zamba has revealed that financial imbalances, rather than lack of interest, prompted his decision to quit the Indian Premier League (IPL), admitting that he was “not really on the radar” of the owners.
In an interview with a local sports site, the Australian leg-spinner spoke candidly about the economics of the world’s richest T20 league, explaining that the concessionary pay is no longer commensurate with the significant time commitment required.
“To be brutally honest, for someone of my skill set, the money isn’t there compared to the money available for other skill sets,” Zamba said. “Considering how much time the IPL requires, continuing to play doesn’t seem like a reasonable option to me.”
Jamba, who had initially planned to retire from the game for a break, was instead given the unexpected opportunity to feature in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The wrist-spinner was drafted by Karachi Kings a few weeks ago and has already made an impact in the tournament.
“I had planned to take a break, but PSL came on the radar a month ago,” he added. “It’s all happened so quickly, but I’m enjoying it.”
Reflecting on his early experiences in the tournament, the leg-spinner also acknowledged the high potential of the opposition, especially after a tough match.
“Yeah, good. You know, when you look at the team we played against, you can see the names and the quality in their team, especially their bowling attack. It’s almost an international quality bowling attack,” he said.
“We were chasing 129, so for them to make it so close to the wire, I think that really shows the quality of their bowling. There are definitely some good teams out there,” he added.
The 34-year-old expressed his admiration for Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi, highlighting the Pakistan pacer’s impact and commanding presence on the field.
When caught up with him recently, he said he was impressed by the left-arm fast bowler’s four-wicket haul while maintaining strong rhythm throughout his spell.
“One player I admire a lot is Shaheen Afridi. I played against him yesterday. He bowled well and took four wickets. I always feel like something exciting happens when he bowls,” Zamba revealed.
He praised the skills of Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowlers, stressing that he is a bowler who not only understands his craft but also has a natural knack for picking up wickets.
“He clearly knows what he’s doing and has a real knack for taking wickets. Do I want to bat against Shaheen? I’ve met him before and honestly, most of the time I try not to get hurt. But yes, he’s very good,” he said.
Zamba also highlighted his friendship and experience playing with Harris Rauf, putting Shaheen Afridi’s skills in context, using comparisons to make his eulogy of Shaheen more meaningful.
“Haris Rauf is also a good friend of mine and I play with him quite a bit. There are a lot of good cricketers, but if I had to choose, I would say I admire Shaheen the most,” he concluded.