Cricket, Italy for first time at World Cup: special dedication by captain Joe Burns

Thanks to their second place finish in the final qualifying round of the European zone, behind the Netherlands, the Italian national cricket team has, for the first time in its history, qualified for a cricket World Cup (the 2026 one in India and Sri Lanka), in this case in the format of the most recently introduced game (in 2003), the T20.

After picking up 5 runs in the first three matches (the result of two wins and a ‘no result’ due to rain) and putting themselves in a good position thanks to a win with Scotland on Wednesday, Italy scored 134 runs in their innings against Holland, finding themselves, calculations in hand, having to hold out for at least 15 overs defensively to have a better points quotient than Jersey, another national team seeking a historic first World Cup qualification. Jersey’s defense held up the most, yielding only after 16 overs and 2 tosses, thus punching their ticket to the World Cup.

Emotional, in the aftermath of the feat, Azzurri captain Joe Burns: “I don“t think words will ever be able to describe the emotions I feel for this team and this country” wrote the former Australian national, who chose Italy for the final phase of his career after a long hiatus from international activity.

“Sacrifice, dedication and commitment to a dream: we have traveled this road to the unknown together, all the way to our first World Cup, guided by the inspiration of those who support us from home, around the world or watch us from above,– added Burns, who dedicated this success to his brother Dominic, who passed away in 2024 -. For those who came before us and for future generations. I hope this team can be a beacon, and that those who walk alongside us will always be proud of us. Without them, we would never have dared to dream”.