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Wayne Madsen to Lead Italy's Historic Debut in Men's T20 World Cup

Wayne Madsen, the Derbyshire batter, has been appointed captain of Italy for their inaugural Men's T20 World Cup campaign. The squad includes notable international qualifiers like former South Africa player JJ Smuts and Kent all-rounder Grant Stewart. Italy will make their tournament debut in Group C, facing Bangladesh on February 9 in Kolkata. The team is coached by former Canada captain John Davison, with Kevin O'Brien and Douglas Brown as assistants.

Key Points: Wayne Madsen Named Italy Captain for T20 World Cup Debut

  • Madsen confirmed as captain
  • Ex-South Africa player JJ Smuts in squad
  • Grant Stewart qualifies via Italian mother
  • Debut match vs Bangladesh Feb 9
  • Coached by John Davison
2 min read

Wayne Madsen to captain Italy in their maiden Men's T20 World Cup campaign

Experienced batter Wayne Madsen will captain Italy in their first-ever Men's T20 World Cup campaign, featuring players like JJ Smuts and Grant Stewart.

"Experienced batter Wayne Madsen will captain Italy in their first appearance in the Men's T20 World Cup - Italian Cricket Federation"

New Delhi, Jan 17

Experienced batter Wayne Madsen will captain Italy in their first appearance in the Men's T20 World Cup, set to happen in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

The Italian Cricket Federation had previously confirmed Madsen, who plays for Derbyshire in county cricket and is an Italian passport holder, as the side's captain after ex-Australia player Joe Burns was omitted from the squad for the tournament due to availability issues.

Former South Africa batter Jon-Jon Smuts has also been named in Italy's squad, after attending a camp for the side in Dubai last year. Smuts played six ODIs and 13 T20Is for South Africa from 2017 to 2021 and has qualified to play for India via his wife.

Fast bowling all-rounder Grant Stewart, who plays county cricket for Kent, will also turn out for Italy as he has an EU passport through his Italian mother and has 17 T20I appearances so far via them.

The Azzurri will mark their T20 World Cup debut in a Group C clash against Bangladesh on February 9 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata before facing Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai three days later. Italy will also face 2010 England in Kolkata on February 16, before taking on two-time champions West Indies at the same venue on February 19.

Italy managed to make the cut for their first-ever ICC tournament after finishing as runners-up in the 2025 Europe Regional Final. Italy will be coached by John Davison, the former Canada captain who played state cricket in Australia, with ex-Ireland batter Kevin O'Brien and former Scotland player Douglas Brown serving as assistant coaches.

Italy squad: Wayne Madsen (captain), Marcus Campopiano (wk), Gian Piero Meade, Zain Ali, Ali Hasan, Crishan Jorge, Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart, and Thomas Draca

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a cricket fan living in India, I love that the World Cup is bringing more nations into the fold. The squad is a real mix! Jon-Jon Smuts qualifying via his wife is a cool story. Looking forward to seeing them play at Eden Gardens.
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Rohit P
Honestly, while it's great for Italy, the ICC's qualification rules need a look. A team where the captain, a key batter, and an all-rounder are all essentially imports? Where is the development of local Italian talent? The spirit of a *national* team seems diluted.
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Anjali F
So exciting to have matches in Kolkata and Mumbai! The atmosphere will be electric, even for a new team like Italy. I see a couple of Indian-origin names in the squad too (Jaspreet Singh, Zain Ali). Best of luck to them! 🤞
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Karthik V
Their group is tough! Bangladesh, West Indies, even Nepal are strong. But that's the beauty of T20 - anyone can win on their day. Madsen has experience, and Smuts can be dangerous. Will be an interesting debut for the Azzurri.
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Meera T
The coaching staff is more interesting than the players! John Davison, Kevin O'Brien... all associates cricket legends. They know how to punch above their weight. This experience might be more valuable for Italy's long-term cricket future than the actual results.

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