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Italy snubs captain Joe Burns from maiden ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign

Soumyajit Dutta

Joe Burns officially ruled out from Italy's World Cup 2026 campaign [Source: @ClinkWrites/X]Joe Burns officially ruled out from Italy's World Cup 2026 campaign [Source: @ClinkWrites/X]

Australia-born, Joe Burns will not be a part of the Italy T20 squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 next year. 

The Sheffield Shield hero, who led Italy to their historic qualification in the tournament, will be absent from the team leading to the marquee event, as confirmed by the Italian Cricket Federation.

Joe Burns was essentially left out of the squad after having the discussions around his availability, and since the cricketer did not come to terms with the professional contract, the Italian cricket association decided to snub him from the tournament.

Why did Italy remove Joe Burns?

After announcing Joe Burns’ omission, the Italian cricket association announced in the same release that Wayne Madsen will captain the side for the prestigious tournament.

Notably, the Italian Cricket Federation explained Burns' omission by pointing to the need for stability and continuity as Italy moves forward. Madsen has been chosen as a leader for his long-term availability, which was prioritised over short-term considerations.

Nevertheless, Italy also paid tribute to Burns, acknowledging his impact on and off the field in the media release.

Wayne Madsen’s impact on Italy cricket team

Madsen will also lead Italy for their upcoming tour of Ireland ahead of the World Cup, which commences on January 23. 

For the unaware, Madsen has previously led Italy and is also a key player in the national setup. The batter has 5406 runs in T20 cricket at an average of 31.06 and is also a popular name among franchise cricket like SA20, The Hundred and PSL.

Italy's World Cup journey will begin with a curtain-raiser against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens on February 9, as they step onto the global stage for the first time in the nation's history.