Italy chase golden moment in maiden T20 WC outing
Cricket has always been a fringe sport in a football-mad Italy ever since it was introduced in the country by British sailors and diplomats in the late 18th century. But two centuries later, their moment to shed the tag of the unknown seems to have come. The Italians, led by Wayne Madsen, are ready to make a strong impression in the upcoming T20 World Cup, and that is not just a fancy statement. The four-wicket win over Ireland last month in a bilateral T20I series was their first ever against a Test-playing nation, and it has shown their improving skill level and lack of stage fright.
It might just be irony that one of the architects of that famous victory was assistant coach Kevin O’Brien — a celebrated former Ireland all-rounder. That’s the one thing that Italian cricket authorities did right in their push to earn a World Cup berth — appointment of some experienced coaches. Apart from O’Brien, former Canada batter John Davison, an explosive batter in his prime, was roped in as head coach. Dougie Brown, who played 25 ODIs and two T20Is for England and 209 First-Class games for Warwickshire, was taken as the second assistant coach. They might not come with a glittering and long CV, but it’s an earnest and hard-working group.
“They have got international experience and know what it takes to play in a World Cup. It’s very valuable to us. Our young players can learn a lot from them about how to manage pressure situations in an event like this. “Hope we can make some strong shows out there,” Lorea Haz Paz, president of the Italian Cricket Federation (ICF), reflected in an interaction with PTI. Qualifying for the ICC marquee event on July 11 last year was indeed a watershed moment for Italian cricket. But they were not ready to rest on the laurels.
The ICF has organised camps for the players in Dubai and Sri Lanka since November last year to sharpen their skills. “The critical part was to accept that the job was not done. The camps were good because they closely resemble pitches and conditions in India. They will give the players some idea about what to expect in the World Cup and mentally prepare them for the big event. Of course, the skill upgrade too happens here,” tells Davison.
