Joe Burns moves to Italy as tribute to his late brother

Former Australian Test opener Joe Burns has decided to move to Italy as a tribute to his brother who passed away earlier this year. The 34-year-old batter, who was dropped by Queensland last season and didn’t get a new contract, will now try to help Italy qualify for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

"This isn't just a number and this isn't just a jersey. This is for the people who I know will be looking down proudly from above. In February of this year, my brother sadly passed away. 85 was his number in the last team he played (and his birth year) for the mighty Northern Federals in sub-districts,” Burns wrote on Instagram.

"The days, weeks and months since my brother's death have been the toughest I could ever imagine. I'm not too proud to admit that it's been a daily battle that I often lose. While a part of my soul feels like it will always be missing, I know this shirt will carry on his spirit and give me strength. It's the hours playing as kids and connection with him that taught me to love this game."

Burns, who qualifies for Italy through his mother's heritage, will now feature in the Qualifier A sub-regional tournament which will be played across two venues in Rome between June 9 and 16. Italy are placed in Group 1 alongside France, Isle of Man, Luxembourg and Turkey. 

The winner of the tournament will qualify for the regional final, where they will face the winners of other sub-regional tournaments. The top two teams from there will go further as the European qualifiers for the 20-team 2026 T20 World Cup. 

"I often reflect on the bravery and commitment it must have taken my Grandparents when they left Italy to start a new life in Australia. They found a way to make it work through adversity and this has always given me solace through life's lessons. I'm so proud to represent Italy on our path to the 2026 World Cup,” Burns added.

Burns played 23 Tests and six ODIs for Australia. In the red-ball format, the right-handed opener crafted 1442 runs at an average of 36.97, scoring four centuries and seven fifties. His last Test came against India in December 2020.

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