Benvenuti Azzurri! Italy chase golden moment in maiden T20 World Cup outing

Bengaluru, Feb 3 (PTI) Cricket has always been a fringe sport in a football-mad Italy ever since it was introduced in the country by British sailors and diplomats in the late 18th century. But two centuries later, their moment to shed the tag of the unknown seems to have come.

The Italians, led by Wayne Madsen, are ready to make a strong impression in the upcoming T20 World Cup, and that is not just a fancy statement.

The four-wicket win over Ireland last month in a bilateral T20I series was their first ever against a Test-playing nation, and it has shown their improving skill level and lack of stage fright.

It might just be irony that one of the architects of that famous victory was assistant coach Kevin O'Brien -- a celebrated former Ireland all-rounder.

That's the one thing that Italian cricket authorities did right in their push to earn a World Cup berth -- appointment of some experienced coaches.

Apart from O'Brien, former Canada batter John Davison, an explosive batter in his prime, was roped in as head coach.

Dougie Brown, who played 25 ODIs and two T20Is for England and 209 First-Class games for Warwickshire, was taken as the second assistant coach.

They might not come with a glittering and long CV, but it's an earnest and hard-working group.

"They have got international experience and know what it takes to play in a World Cup. It's very valuable to us. Our young players can learn a lot from them about how to manage pressure situations in an event like this.

"Hope we can make some strong shows out there," Lorea Haz Paz, president of the Italian Cricket Federation (ICF), reflected in an interaction with PTI.

Qualifying for the ICC marquee event on July 11 last year was indeed a watershed moment for Italian cricket. But they were not ready to rest on the laurels.

The ICF has organised camps for the players in Dubai and Sri Lanka since November last year to sharpen their skills.

"The critical part was to accept that the job was not done. The camps were good because they closely resemble pitches and conditions in India. They will give the players some idea about what to expect in the World Cup and mentally prepare them for the big event. Of course, the skill upgrade too happens here," tells Davison.

The Italy camp hopes to come up with a strong effort against fellow associates Scotland, who have replaced Bangladesh, and Nepal in their first two Group C matches before fronting up to far tougher assignments against former champions England and the West Indies.

Italy had beaten Scotland at the Europe Regional event last year, and they will be eyeing an encore.

So, optimism runs high but there have been a few rough patches as well.

The omission of former captain and experienced batter Joe Burns over a leadership tussle might have muffled some excitement around Italy's campaign.

But Italy will expect a full-hearted show from their experienced pros in the big-ticket tournament.

Players in focus =========== Former South African all-rounder JJ Smuts adds value to middle-order as a hard-hitting batter and his left-arm spin could be handy on Indian pitches.

Skipper Madsen, despite turning 42 recently, carries with him the experience of playing in T20 leagues around the world, similar to Manenti brothers -- Ben and Harry -- who have had extensive playing time in the Big Bash League (BBL).

Madsen might be a last-minute replacement for Burns but the man-management skills he showed during his long stint as the Derbyshire captain will stand him and the team in good stead in the global event.

Smuts and Harry Manenti were at the forefront of Italy's 10-run win over Canada in a warm-up match at Chennai on Monday.

By all accounts, the Azzuri of cricket seem determined to carve a space for themselves in their football-obsessed nation.

Italy squad ======== Wayne Madsen (c), Marcus Campopiano, Gian Piero Meade, Zain Ali, Ali Hasan, Crishan Jorge, Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart, Thomas Draca.

Italy’s T20 WC Schedule ================= February 9: vs Scotland at Kolkata February 12: vs Nepal at Mumbai February 16: vs England at Kolkata February 19: vs West Indies at Kolkata. PTI UNG PM PM PM PM