Joe Burns named captain of the Italian Cricket Team after former Australia Test opener switches his allegiances.
Joe Burns has been announced as Italy’s new captain. The former Australia batter had shifted his allegiances to Italy in May this year.
Born in Brisbane, Burns made his debut for Italy in June after qualifying for the country through his mother’s lineage.
The Italian Cricket Federation’s president, Fabio Marabini, supported Burns’ ascent to the position.
“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.”
“I am happy to take on this role and represent Italy on the international stage,” Burns said in a statement. “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.”
Burns, who has so far played five Twenty20 Internationals for Italy, has amassed 211 runs at a strike rate of 144.52 and an average of 70.33. He defeated Romania in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe Qualifier Group A with an undefeated 108 off 55 balls in his most recent Twenty20 International.
Burns has drawn interest in franchise T20 cricket as well; the Dubai Capitals have signed him for the next ILT20 season in the United Arab Emirates. In addition to the Big Bash League, Burns has played in the Vitality Blast.
Between December 2014 and December 2020, Burns played in 23 matches as an Australia Test opener, scoring 1442 runs from 40 innings, including four hundreds, and average 36.97.
Italy had also emerged on the IPL radar when Burns’ team-mate Thomas Draca made the long list for the 2025 player auction. The fast bowler, however, didn’t make the final cut.