‘Return to my family’s roots’: Former Australia opener Joe Burns named captain of Italy’s cricket team | Cricket News – Times of India

Joe Burns, a former Australian Test cricketer, has been appointed captain of Italy’s national cricket team. Burns represented Australia in 23 Test matches before switching his allegiance to Italy.
Burns played a crucial role in the 2020 Adelaide Test against India, scoring an unbeaten 51 in the second innings. This match is remembered for India’s historic collapse to 36 all out in their second innings.
In May 2024, Burns officially transferred his cricketing allegiance to Italy. He qualified to represent Italy through his mother’s Italian heritage and debuted for the team 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.”
Burns’s Test career for Australia spanned from December 2014 to January 2021. He accumulated 1,442 runs in 40 innings, at an average of 36.97, including four centuries.
Since joining the Italian team, Burns has played five T20 Internationals. He has scored 211 runs with an impressive average of 70.33 and a strike rate of 144.52.
In a recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier Group A match, Burns smashed an unbeaten 108 off just 55 balls against Romania, leading Italy to victory.
Fabio Marabini, the president of the Italian Cricket Federation, expressed confidence in Burns’s leadership abilities.
“Since day one, Joe has shown great generosity and professionalism, putting his experience and competitive spirit at the disposal of the team.”
“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 is a sought-after player in franchise T20 cricket around the world. He has been signed by Dubai Capitals for the upcoming ILT20 season in the UAE.
Burns has experience in various T20 leagues, including the Vitality Blast in England and the Big Bash League in Australia. He has also played domestically in Australia for Queensland.
He made a memorable first-class debut for Queensland in the 2010-11 Sheffield Shield season, scoring 140 against South Australia. This marked the beginning of a successful cricketing journey that has now taken him to the captaincy of the Italian national team.