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The former Australian Test batter, Joe Burns shifted his allegiances to Italy and has now been named captain of the side.
Joe Burns has played 23 Tests for Australia and now represents Italy. (Image: Instagram/@joeburns441)
The former Australia batter, Joe Burns has now been announced as Italy’s new captain after he shifted allegiances in May, earlier this year.
Burns had qualified to play for Italy through his mother’s background and made his debut for the national team earlier in June.
In a statement, Burns, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, expressed his honour to represent the side and also return to his roots. He backed the nation to have the potential to grow the sport within the country and hopes to make the nation proud through his and the team’s efforts.
“I am honoured to take on this role and represent Italy on the international stage. For me, it is a return to my family’s roots. Italian cricket has enormous potential and I am excited to contribute to its growth. Together with my teammates, we are working to achieve ambitious goals and make our fans proud,” he shared.
The President of the Italian Cricket Federation, Fabio Marabini also backed the former Aussie batter to thrive in the leadership position after reflecting on his experience within the game.
“Since day one, Joe has shown great generosity and professionalism, putting his experience and competitive spirit at the disposal of the team,” he said.
“His choice as captain reflects our ambition to take Italian cricket to new levels. We are also counting on his leadership to play a leading role in the next qualifying stages for the 2026 T20 World Cup,” he added.
While Burns has not represented Australia in the shortest format, he has racked up a fairly impressive record for the Italian outfit. He scored 211 runs from the five T20Is at an average of 70.33 and a strike-rate of 144.52.
During the T20 World Sub Regional Qualifier for Europe, he scored 108 runs in 55 balls in the Group A clash against Romania to help lead the way for a win to Italy by 160 runs.
In franchise T20 cricket, he was also picked up by the Dubai Capitals for the upcoming season of the ILT20. He also has experience playing in the Vitality Blast along with the Big Bash League as well.
During his international career for Australia, he was an opener in the Test format where he played 23 matches with 1442 runs. His career spanned from December 2014 through to December 202 where he scored four centuries but was unable to establish a spot in the side.
In addition, another Italian, Thomas Draca had also thrown his name in the hat for the recently-concluded, 2025 mega auction of the Indian Premier League but was not picked up by any franchise.
