Follow UsJoe Burns, who featured in 23 Tests for Australia and also played two formats for the Kangaroos, has switched sides and is now looking to create a legacy for Italian cricket by taking them to the T20 World Cup for the first time ever.
Italy are drawn in the European Qualifier for the T20 World Cup 2026. There are two spots up for grabs and Italy will be in competition with the Netherlands, who are the hosts, Scotland, Guernsey and Jersey.
Talking about his ambitions, the 35-year-old said, “We're very confident that if we play to our best, we'll go to a World Cup. It's not lost on us the magnitude of the impact we can have on Italian cricket. We talk a lot as a team about creating a legacy for the generations to come after us,” he was quoted as saying to BBC Sport.
"To wear the Italian cap at a World Cup would make us a groundbreaking team. And we think we've got the team to get there,” he added.
The tournament will begin on July 5th with Italy taking on Guernsey in their first game. Their second game is against Jersey, and if the Italians are able to win their first two games, they would just need to upset one of the two big horses in the Netherlands and Scotland to get to their first-ever T20 World Cup.