Joe Burns likely to miss T20 World Cup

Former Australia batter Joe Burns, who led Italy to its first-ever T20 World Cup qualification, will be omitted from the European nation’s squad for the showpiece in India due to availability issues that came in the way of a contract between him and the Italian Cricket Federation.

The Federation on Wednesday named Wayne Madsen as captain to replace the 36-year-old Burns, who made his Italy debut last year after completing a mandatory cooling-off period following his final international appearance for Australia in 2020.

He took over as the captain of Italy earlier this year. “Although preliminary exchanges of availability took place in recent weeks, a full agreement was never reached and, consequently, a formal contract was not signed. At the same time, internal technical and organisational evaluations led to the selection of Wayne Madsen as captain,” the federation said in a statement.

“This decision responds to the need to ensure stability, harmony, and continuity for the team, elements deemed to be priorities over short-term objectives. These considerations were made solely in the interest of the national team’s preparation and serenity ahead of this historic event,” it added.

Burns has strong Italian roots through his family in Calabria. His grandfather moved to Australia after being a prisoner of war during the Second World War. A batter of repute with four hundreds in 23 Tests for Australia, Burns wore the No. 85 jersey for Italy in tribute to his late brother, Dominic. Madsen, who was appointed captain in late November, will lead Italy in their bilateral series against Ireland in January and at the T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

The federation thanked Burns for his services, highlighting his role in Italy’s qualification campaign during the European T20 World Cup Qualifiers and his involvement in Challenge League cricket in the 50-over pathway to the 2027 ODI World Cup.

“The Federation wishes to place on record its sincere thanks to Joe Burns for his service to Italian cricket, both as a player and as captain.” Italy, who are yet to submit their final squad, open their T20 World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Kolkata on February 9 which will be their first appearance at a cricket global event at any level. They are clubbed with England, West Indies and Nepal in Group C.