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Sports - Cricket

Joe Burns dropped as Italy captain after standards dispute

Joe Burns says his Italy World Cup dream ended after pushing for higher professional standards behind the scenes.

JOE BURNS .
JOE BURNS . Picture: Jono Searle/Getty Images

A request for higher professional standards has brought an abrupt end to Joe Burns' World Cup journey with Italy, with the former Australian Test opener dropped as captain and omitted from the squad ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Burns, who played 23 Tests for Australia, captained Italy national cricket team to its first ever World Cup qualification earlier this year.

He also played a central role during a deeply personal period, following the death of his brother Dominic in early 2024.

The 36-year-old was replaced as captain and left out of the squad on Wednesday, with Italian cricket initially pointing to a failure to reach a contract agreement.

However, messages sent by Burns to teammates and seen by this masthead paint a different picture.

Burns said he stepped away after pushing for improvements to off field systems and governance.

He wrote that he believed Italy needed to address structures, communication and integrity behind the scenes to give the team the best chance on the field.

Burns said the response he received was that his standards were "above the standards of Italian cricket".

Burns also rejected claims that his exit stemmed from financial disagreements. He said he accepted the federation's World Cup availability proposal on multiple occasions, for less pay than before qualification, and had previously declined a captain's bonus on principle.

Italian head of cricket Marco Mastrorocco told ESPNCricinfo that Burns was a person of high integrity.

In a statement, the Italian Cricket Federation confirmed Burns would not be selected for the upcoming tournament, saying no formal contract was signed and that internal evaluations led to Wayne Madsen being appointed captain instead.

The federation said the decision was made to prioritise stability, harmony and continuity ahead of the historic event, while thanking Burns for his service to Italian cricket.

Burns declined to comment.


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