Former Test opener Joe Burns will try to help Italy qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup in memory of his late brother and grandparents.
Burns, who has four centuries in 23 Test matches for Australia, was not offered a Queensland contract for the 2024-25 season and his Big Bash contract with the Melbourne Stars has ended.
Following the death of his older brother Dominique last February, Burns decided to carry on his mother’s legacy and represent Italy.
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His Italy jersey will bear the number 85 in honor of Dominic, and the 34-year-old explained his desire to honor his family’s Italian heritage in a touching Instagram post.
“This is not just a number and it is not just a uniform. This is for people I know. We will proudly look down from above.” Burns, 34, wrote on Instagram.
“In February of this year, my brother sadly passed away. 85 was his shirt number in the last team he played for (and in his year of birth) for the lower-tier powerhouse Northern Federals.
“The days, weeks and months following my brother’s death were the most difficult times I could imagine. I’m not too proud to admit that it was a daily battle that I often lost.
“I feel like a part of my soul will always be missing, but I know this shirt will keep his spirit alive and give me strength.
“It was my time as a child and my relationship with it that made me fall in love with the game.
“I often think about the courage and dedication my grandparents showed when they left Italy to start a new life in Australia.
“They found a way to overcome adversity and it always gave me comfort through life lessons.
“I am very proud to represent Italy on the road to the 2026 World Cup. The fields of Rome may be a long way from the Gabba, the MCG or the front yard where we grow, but it feels like coming home.”
Italy’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign begins next month in Rome with matches against France, Isle of Man, Luxembourg and Turkey.
