Joe Burns, the Australia-born cricketer leading Italy, is brimming with excitement after guiding the team to its maiden qualification for the T20 World Cup. Following their success in the European Qualifiers, Burns isn’t hoping for an easy debut; he’s looking forward to facing the giants straight away. Speaking to ICC Digital, Burns expressed his desire for Italy to take on defending champions India in the opening clash of the tournament, scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka next year.
“You come to your first World Cup and you want the big stage,” Joe Burns said. “I’d love for our first game to be against India in India. Playing teams like Australia or England — that’s the kind of experience we want. That’s how you test yourself. We want to dive right into the deep end.”
Burns, who has four Test centuries to his name for Australia, called the qualification “surreal” — a reward for months of intense planning and emotional commitment. The road to qualification included camps in Rome and the UK, where he emphasised preparation over reputation.
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“I told the boys on the first day in Rome, it doesn’t matter if we’re playing Luxembourg or India in a World Cup final — I want us to be the most prepared team in world cricket,” he said.
For Joe Burns, representing Italy goes beyond cricket. The chance to represent his mother’s country gave him a much-needed emotional anchor during a tough period marked by the loss of his brother, Dominic. The journey, he says, has been deeply personal and symbolic.
Italy’s captain Joe Burns said “I will love to play against India in first game of T20 World Cup next year.” pic.twitter.com/YvG47Xv9cO
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) July 22, 2025
“ squad shares similar emotional ties,” he revealed. “In Rome, we bonded over our roots and sacrifices. That cultural understanding really brought us together.”
Under the guidance of head coach John Davison, a former Canada international, and support from experienced names like Dougie Brown and Kevin O’Brien, Italy’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable.
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Kevin O’Brien, a former Irish star, noted how this unique group has gelled despite coming from diverse cricketing backgrounds. “What binds them is Italian heritage,” O’Brien said. “Beyond cricket skills, I’ve seen them improve in areas like fitness, attitude, game awareness, and work ethic — everything required to compete at the international level.”
With passion, purpose, and a tight-knit squad, Italy isn’t just here to make up the numbers — they’re ready to challenge the best on cricket’s biggest stage.
