New Delhi: After shifting his allegiance in May of this year, former Australia batter Joe Burns has now been named captain of the Italian cricket team.
The 35-year-old was born in Brisbane had played 23 Test matches (40 innings) and six ODIs for Australia between December 2014 and December 2020, scoring 1442, including four hundreds and 146 runs at an average of 36.97 and 24.33, respectively.
He made his switch to Italy as a tribute for his late brother, after being eligible through his mother’s heritage, making his debut in June.
“I am honoured to take on this role and represent Italy on the international stage,” Burns said in a statement on Thursday.
“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 team-mates, we are working to achieve ambitious goals and make our fans proud.”
‘Choice reflects ambition’
The right hander has turned out in five T20Is for Italy so far, amassing 211 runs at an average of 70.33 and strike rate of 144.52, including an unbeaten 108 off 55 balls in his last appearance.
His century helped Italy to a win over Romania in the T20 World Cup sub regional Europe qualifier group A lash.
Burns is also a regular feature franchise T20 cricket all over the globe, having featured in Vitality Blast and the Big Bash League. He is set to play for Dubai Capitals in the upcoming season of the UAE’s ILT20.
Italian Cricket Federation Fabio Marabini backed Burns to succeed as skipper of his new team. “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.”
Burns’ international team-mate Thomas Draca was part of the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction players pool’s initial list. But the pacer wasn”t included in the final draft.
Joe Burns made his switch to Italy as a tribute for his late brother, after being eligible through his mother’s heritage, making his debut in June. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
