Photo: www.davidmolloyphotography.com via Flickr, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
Australia are T20 world champions for the first time, and vegan leg-spinner Adam Zampa was at the heart of it. Australia beat New Zealand by eight wickets in the final in Dubai on Sunday, November 14, chasing down 173 with seven balls to spare.
Zampa did his job in the final, removing Martin Guptill for 28 with Marcus Stoinis taking the catch in the deep, and finishing with 1/26 from his four overs as Kane Williamson's 85 lifted New Zealand to 172/4. Mitchell Marsh then hit 77 not out to win it, the match record shows.
That wicket made it 13 for the tournament. Going into the final he had 12 at an average of 10.91 and an economy rate of 5.69, second only to Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga, AFP reported via Scroll. That included a career-best 5/19 against Bangladesh and the prize wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Azam in the semi-final. Not bad for a player who says he still flies under the radar:
I've always been underestimated. Even as a 15 or 16-year-old growing up in the country, there was always a city guy that's better than me or there's always been someone that turns their leg-spinner more than I do. Even after this tournament, there'll be another series that comes up and I'll be underestimated again. I thrive off that.
Zampa is a committed vegan and has even appeared in advertising for PETA. He's honest that it was never about chasing performance. "I'm not vegan to help my performance," he told the BBC. "I did it because I care about animals and the environment. It's really easy for me because I'm passionate about it." On this evidence it isn't holding him back either.
Australia has no shortage of plant-powered sporting talent. AFLW star Erin Phillips won her second premiership and the best on ground medal in 2019, and snooker's Neil Robertson thrashed Jack Lisowski 11-4 to win the China Open on a plant-based diet.
No meat, no problem.