Why was Joe Burns removed as Italy's T20 captain?

The Italian Cricket Federation removed Joe Burns due to a lack of a finalized contract and agreement for his participation.

Who is the new captain for Italy's T20 World Cup team?

Wayne Madsen, a batter from Derbyshire, has been appointed as the new captain for Italy's T20 World Cup campaign.

Will Joe Burns play in the 2026 T20 World Cup for Italy?

No, the Italian Cricket Federation has stated that Joe Burns will not be selected for Italy's squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Home / Sports / Italy Axes Captain Joe Burns Ahead of T20 World Cup

Italy Axes Captain Joe Burns Ahead of T20 World Cup

17 Dec, 2025

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Summary

Joe Burns has been removed as captain and excluded from the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Wayne Madsen has replaced Burns as captain for the tournament.
The Italian Cricket Federation cited a lack of formal agreement with Burns.

Italy Axes Captain Joe Burns Ahead of T20 World Cup

Joe Burns has been stripped of the Italy captaincy and will not feature in the nation's debut T20 World Cup appearance next year. The 36-year-old former Australia opener led Italy through the qualifying rounds for the 20-team tournament. However, the Italian Cricket Federation (FCRI) announced that 41-year-old Derbyshire batter Wayne Madsen will now take over the captaincy.

The FCRI confirmed that Burns will not be selected for Italy's squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. A statement from the federation indicated that preliminary discussions regarding Burns' availability did not result in a full agreement, and consequently, a formal contract was never signed.

Italy secured their spot in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to commence on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. The decision to replace their captain marks a significant shift for the team as they prepare for their first major international T20 tournament.