The Thursday Read (3rd July): Italian cricket is on the up and they're coming to spoil the T20 party
Graeme Macpherson speaks to former Scotland and England all-rounder Dougie Brown who's now part of an Italy coaching team with the World Cup in their sights
Hello cricket fans,
We hope you enjoy Graeme’s interview with a legend of Scottish cricket, who provides a fascinating insight into one the national team’s opponents in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier which begins on Saturday when hosts Netherlands take on Jersey at Voorburg Cricket Club in The Hague.
Scotland’s campaign clicks into gear against Guernsey on Sunday morning (10am start), followed by Netherlands next Tuesday (3pm), Italy next Wednesday (10pm) and Jersey next Friday (10am).
The top two sides in the tournament will join England and Ireland as Europe’s representatives in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next February and March. England qualified directly for the T20 World Cup as a top eight team from the previous edition. Ireland qualified directly through ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings.
🏏 If you have any cricket stories you think we should be diving into then we’d be delighted to hear from you. Just fire over an email to david@tiecricket.com.
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All the best,
David Barnes
DOUGIE BROWN is all-in on an Italian job with a difference.
The former Scotland and England all-rounder has been based in Dubai for almost nine years now but when the call came asking if he would consider joining the coaching staff of the Azzurri men’s national cricket team for this week’s T20 World Cup Europe qualifier then he agreed almost in an instant.
Football-daft Italy may not be synonymous with cricket – sound familiar? – but they have risen in recent years to reach 32nd in the world T20I rankings, making them the seventh best team in Europe.
A large part of that success has stemmed from casting their net far and wide as part of a widescale recruitment job, reaching out to overseas players, Australians in particular, with an Italian connection or other bloodline.
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The team is captained by Joe Burns who played 23 Tests as an opening bat for Australia before switching to Italy last year, qualifying through his mum. The Manenti brothers, Harry and Ben, are of similar stock, eligible through their Italian grandmother but regulars in Australia’s Big Bash League.
Grant Stewart, on the books of Kent since 2017, is another Aussie convert, while a second pair of brothers – AJ and Justin Mosca – grew up playing cricket in Sydney at their Italian nonna’s house.
Brown admits he knew little of this when he was asked by head coach John Davison – a former Canadian international and a familiar face in associate cricket circles – to join a coaching staff that also includes former Ireland cap, Kevin O’Brien.