The Melbourne test from 2014 against Australia is largely reminded as a farewell to Mrs. Dhoni of the test cricket – a poignant moment etched in the Indian cricket folklore. It was a match that signaled the end of the era. In the shadows of this emotional farewell, the young Klouul took his first self -confident steps in the international cricket and launched a way to see him growing into one of the most adaptable stars in India across formats.
But quietly, far from the center of attention, another debutant stood on Stráž – Joe Burns. His name did not turn in the stadiums, nor the headlines did not shout the miraculous revealed. Yet at that moment Burns was also chasing a dream.
While Dhoni bowed to Grace and Rahul Rose constantly in the ranks, Burns’s story turned another turn – the one that was marked by the promise, but spoiled himself. He blinked in and out of the Australian team and couldn’t lock the place. His career Odi ended the very year, which began, and by 2020 his time in Baggy Green disappeared – not with a tribute, but silence.
But cricket, like life, rarely holds one script. And sometimes Glory finds you far from where you first searched for it.
Almost five years after his last trip to Australia, Burns reappeared – not under the southern cross, but under another flag, with another purpose. This time he didn’t just play – led. As a captain of the Italian national team, Burns helped scripting one of the most remarkable stories in the recent cricket history.
Burns ran Italy at the T20 World Cup for their girls!
Italy defies chances
In November last year, he took over the reins from Gareth Berg from the regional finals of the ICC Men T20 World Cup of Europe. Italy was not popular – far from that. In a field that included heavy weights such as Scotland and the Netherlands, few gave a chance.
But Burns believed – and made a believer of his team.
Italy did not have to culminate the table; They just needed to hang in battle. And they did it. In their last league match was the equation of a thin razor. The Netherlands had to chase 135 inside 15 overs to qualify. The Italian task was easier, but still nervous – don’t let them.
And no. The Netherlands won, but not fast enough. When she started 16th, Italy knew they did. Against all chances, they book their place at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – their first ever – which take place in India and Sri Lanka.
Burns may not have had a fairy -tale Australian career, but now stands in the heart of another kind of inheritance – one put on applause or records, but on the durability, rediscovery and quiet triumph.
The perfect honor
In May Burns deeply decided to change loyalty from Australia to Italy. But it was not just a cricket move – brought the weight of memory, love and honor. When he attracted the Italian jersey, he chose number 85 – not randomly, but with a goal.
This number belonged to his late brother Dominic.
Dominic wore jersey no. 85 for Mighty Northern Federals in Sub -kokres – team and number that held deep sentimental value. It was also a year of his birth. Dominic died tragically in February 2024 and left the void that it could not fill in any amount of time or cricket.
“It’s not just a number and it’s not just a jersey. It is for people I know they will watch proudly from above. Unfortunately, he died in February this year. 85 was his number in the last team that played (and his year of birth) for the powerful northern federals in the underlay,” Burns wrote in a long Instagram post.
Now, a year and a half later, when Italy is preparing for its first performance in the World Cup ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Burns may look with firm pride. With this no. 85 on his back is not just a team – he carries inheritance, honors a bond and assures that his brother’s spirit is never far from the field.
It’s more than cricket. It’s love. It’s memory. It’s a purpose.
Location of Italy on the world map
When one thinks of Italy and sport, the mind often carries legends like Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio, or elegant swish fenced blades under the Olympic lights. More recently, tennis stars like Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini have transferred the tricolor to the global stages. Criket, on the other hand, barely registers in national sports consciousness.
The domestic structure includes the Italian cricket league and the fragmentation of regional tournaments, which often hold far from the center of attention. There are many challenges: rare infrastructure, limited financing and barely flickering media attention. The fields are often treated from football areas or gravel land, with barely any grass in sight.
But what Italy lacks resources is more than he copes with passion. Players train and compete for full -time juggling, families and everyday fighting. They do not do this for fame or happiness, but for the love of cricket and a dream that one day their adoptive sport could find their legitimate place in the sports story of Italy.
Italy was never considered a cricket nation among the general public. For years, they have remained invisible on the global cricket map – present at ICC Records, yes, but lacking in the main recognition. The qualification of the T20 World Cup has changed this story. It brought the Italian cricket dream of shadows and to the global reflector.
For burns, this moment is nothing but redemption. In Australia, he rarely came with happiness and his potential often unnoticed. But now that he wears Italian colors, a 35-year-old man has finally found his profession-he finds the world and maybe for himself what he is really capable of.
– ends
Published:
Debodinna Chakracorty
Published on:
12 July 2025
