RENAISSANCE IN CRICKET

With the presence of ex-Oz players in the team, Italy Cricket Federation has shown ambitions to cultivate the sport; their immediate aim will be to qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2026

- GOMESH S AUSTRALIA

HEN Joe Burns joined the Italian team for his first training session, he didn't know what to expect. The Australian-born cricketer with Italian heritage had decided to represent the European nation earlier this year. It was his first time with the team, and the facility was unlike anything he had experienced before.

"It was our first training session. So, we turned up and it was in the middle of a tomato farm," Burns recalls in a conversation with this daily. "Associate cricket in general, but in particular in Europe, the grounds are privately owned. So, you get a lot of different variations to where you play," he added. This was in the middle of 2024. In the time since, Italy have qualified for the ICC 2026 men's T20 World Cup European Region final - Burns smashed a century in the Europe Sub-regional Qualifiers final against Romania to make sure of it - and will be competing with teams like Netherlands and Scotland next year to book a ticket for the global event.