Italy's Cricket Miracle: Pizza-Makers and Teachers Prepare for T20 World Cup
In a small, cluttered basement office within the Italian Olympic Committee building in Rome, Riccardo Maggio unpacks boxes of blue jerseys emblazoned with "Italia." The landline phone rings incessantly as he multitasks alone in the improvised headquarters of the Italian Cricket Federation. Shelves are filled with old trophies, faded player photographs, and souvenir cricket bats – hardly the nucleus of a global sporting moment. Yet, in a story that has largely flown under the radar in Italy, the men's national cricket team has made history by qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the first time.
The Italian Cricket Federation's Improbable Journey
"I would call it an Italian miracle," said Maggio, the federation's operations manager and a former national player. Born in Italy to Italian-British parents, Maggio discovered cricket during summers with his grandparents in England. "I watched it on television, then played in the park with friends," he recalled. "Then I would return to Italy and play football and basketball – those were the normal sports here. But I loved cricket."
The federation was founded in 1980, but Maggio didn't realise Italy had a cricket team until 1989, when he read a Guardian article about the squad touring England for club-level games. "The headline was something like: 'Italy takes the wicket,'" he said. When he called the Italian Olympic Committee to inquire about playing, "they laughed at me." Eventually, the British embassy in Rome connected him with a local club, beginning his cricket journey in Italy.
A Team United by Passion and Heritage
Maggio's story mirrors those of the players now preparing for Italy's first cricket World Cup. The squad includes immigrants who have lived in Italy since childhood, alongside Australians, South Africans, and Britons with Italian roots. Among them are pizza-makers, school teachers, and professionals whose shared passion for cricket has brought them together.
"This moment has been a childhood dream," said Crishan Jorge Kalugamage, a 34-year-old batter and bowler who moved to Italy from Sri Lanka at age 16. Settling in Lucca, Tuscany, Kalugamage initially pursued athletics before a local cricket team was formed. "Once again I had the opportunity to play cricket," he said from Dubai, where the team played warm-up matches.
Kalugamage now juggles his job as a pizza-maker with training, travelling to Rome every weekend to play for his club. He described strong camaraderie within the team, with some players packing Italian Moka pots to ensure good coffee throughout the tournament. "We'll be playing against the strongest teams in the world, with all the pressure and in front of all the fans – it's the first time I've ever experienced anything like this," he admitted.
Qualifying Against the Odds
Italy's path to the T20 World Cup involved two stages of qualifiers, with victories over teams including Turkey, Luxembourg, and Guernsey. "The key ingredient has been our closeness," said Peter Di Venuto, the team's World Cup manager and a former Italy player. "We've bonded over a story, and that story is one of family. There are players who live in Italy and those with Italian heritage. They've all had their own journey to finding cricket, and now we're proud to represent Italy and give something back."
The federation has secured live broadcast rights for Italy's matches through Sky Italia and invited journalists from the Italian press and state broadcaster Rai to cover the tournament. Despite these efforts, Kalugamage noted that few people in Lucca are aware Italy is competing. "We hope the World Cup will encourage Italians to start playing cricket," said Maggio. "I have a feeling Italians are good at it – they just need to know what cricket is all about."
As Italy's motley crew of cricketers prepares to take on the world's best teams, their story represents more than just sporting achievement. It's a testament to passion, heritage, and the unifying power of sport in a country where cricket remains largely unknown. Whether they win matches or not, they've already achieved what many considered impossible – putting Italian cricket on the global stage.
