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The Italian Cricket Federation (Federazione Cricket Italia) have confirmed Wayne Madsen will lead the side for their historic ICC Men's T20 World Cup tilt next year, replacing Joe Burns who will be omitted from the squad for the tournament. 

The Italians are yet to submit their player list for the tournament next year, their first appearance at a cricket global tournament at any level of the game.

"Despite preliminary discussions regarding Burns' availability in recent weeks, however, a final agreement has not been reached and, consequently, no contract has been formalized.

"At the same time, internal technical and organizational evaluations have led to the identification of Wayne Madsen as the most suitable choice to lead the team," Federazione Cricket Italia said in a statement.

Burns wore the Italian national team jersey in the 2024 tournaments in Rome and Uganda and captained the national team during the qualifying campaign in the Netherlands in July 2025, which culminated in Italy's historic qualification for the Men's T20 World Cup, the first in the history of the sport.

"The Federation would like to thank Joe Burns for his contribution to Italian cricket, both on the field and as captain," it added.

Italy begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Kolkata on February 9, with the team also scheduled to play against England, West Indies and Nepal in Group C.

Italy will play three-match T20I series against Ireland in Dubai as both teams continue their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The series marks the historic outing for Italy, marking their first-ever three-match bilateral series against an ICC Full Member. All matches will be played at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai, beginning on January 23.

It also offers a valuable opportunity for both sides to fine-tune their squads ahead of the marquee event.