'To wear the Italian cap at a World Cup would make us a groundbreaking team' - Captain Joe Burns reacts after taking Italy to T20 World Cup 2026

Joe Burns represented Australia in 23 Tests from 2014 to 2020 and scored four centuries. Last year, he became eligible to play for Italy through his grandparents. He was appointed as the captain of the side, and the Herston-born player guided them to instant success.

Under his leadership, Italy secured second position in the European Regional Final in The Hague, with the Netherlands finishing at the top. Both teams qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Italy qualified for a senior men’s global ICC event for the first time.

Burns explained how great an achievement it is for the Italian team to compete against the best teams in world cricket. He said that he always wants his team to be the most prepared heading into a tournament, as that is something they can control.

"It's not lost on us the magnitude of the impact we can have on Italian cricket. To wear the Italian cap at a World Cup would make us a groundbreaking team. And we think we've got the team to get there," Burns told BBC Sport.

"We did one week of training in Rome, one week in the UK, and I said to them on the first day in Rome: 'I don't care if we're playing Luxembourg in the first Sub-Regional game or India in a World Cup Final — I just want us to be the most prepared team in world cricket.’ That’s something we can control, something that doesn’t require any skill," Burns said.

In the last game, Italy faced the Netherlands. Burns said that they started with the aim of trying to win, but once they found that they were in a spot of bother, they decided to limit the damage and keep their net run rate above that of Jersey's.

"We started trying to win, but when it wasn't going to plan, we shifted. It became about limiting the damage. The spinners, Crishan Kalugamage and Ben Manenti, really brought the game back for us," he explained.