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Italy have confirmed a major selection call ahead of their maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup appearance, with former Australia opener Joe Burns left out of the squad for the 2026 tournament.
The Italian Cricket Federation (Federazione Cricket Italia) has announced that Derbyshire stalwart Wayne Madsen will lead the side at the global event, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.
Burns, who moved to Italy in 2024 and went on to captain the national side in three of the eight T20 internationals he played, will not be part of Italy’s first-ever World Cup campaign.
The decision comes despite Burns playing a key role in Italy’s qualification journey through the European pathway.
In an official statement released late on Tuesday, the country’s cricket federation clarified that the omission followed unsuccessful discussions between the board and the player.
“The Federation can confirm that Joe Burns will not be selected as part of Italy’s squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” the statement read.
“Although preliminary exchanges of availability took place in recent weeks, a full agreement was never reached and, consequently, a formal contract was not signed.”
The board added that internal technical and organisational assessments led to Madsen’s appointment as captain, stressing the importance of stability and continuity ahead of what it termed a “historic event” for Italian cricket.
“At the same time, internal technical and organizational evaluations led to the selection of Wayne Madsen as captain,” the statement said.
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 itself.
Notably, Italy are yet to formally submit their final squad list for the tournament, which will mark their first appearance at any ICC global event at the senior level.
Joe Burns, who played 23 Tests and six ODIs for Australia between 2014 and 2020, became eligible for Italy through his mother’s heritage and relocated there in 2024 as a tribute to his late brother.
He featured prominently in Italy’s T20 World Cup qualifying campaign, captaining the side at the Europe Region Final and helping secure qualification for the 2026 edition.
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