Italy Cricket Players Salary| Intro Everything You Need To Know About Italy Cricket Team
The Italy national cricket team, nicknamed Gli Azzurri, is an associate member of the ICC (since 1995) representing Italy in international cricket. Administered by the Federazione Cricket Italiana, the team made history by qualifying for its first major tournament in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Important Aspects Of Italian Cricket
Composition
The team is made up of a mix of foreign-born players with Italian heritage, first/second-generation Italians, and foreigners, maintaining a diverse, skilled squad.
History & Development
Cricket in Italy dates back to 1793, although its development was long hampered by the dominance of football.
2026 T20 World Cup Squad
This squad includes key players like Wayne Madsen, Gian Piero Meade, Anthony Mosca and Ben Manenti.
Goal
The main focus is to raise the profile of the sport within Italy and develop the infrastructure, which goes beyond its specific status.
ICC Affiliation & Early International
Italy became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1984, becoming the first country to achieve this status, allowing formal recognition and support for the development of cricket in non-traditional countries. This affiliation marked the beginning of Italy’s entry into the structure of international cricket, which sparked domestic efforts to revive the game after decades of limited activity. In 1995, Italy’s status was upgraded to associate member, allowing greater participation in global events and access to the ICC’s development programmes.
The first official international match for the Italian national team was against Denmark in 1989, which ended in a draw due to rain after Italy had reached 189/7 in 47 overs.
The match, played on 15 July in Copenhagen, represented Italy’s debut on the international stage against another European partner, highlighting the team’s emerging presence in regional cricket. Early international matches were mainly friendlies against neighbouring countries such as France and Germany, providing valuable experience amid a reduced schedule.
1997 at the ICC Trophy in Malaysia
Italy’s initial foray into major tournaments came in 1997 at the ICC Trophy in Malaysia, the predecessor to the modern World Cup qualifiers, where the team competed in Group D but struggled, winning only one of seven matches and finishing joint-last among the 22 participants in the plate competition.[6] Despite poor performances, including heavy defeats to teams such as Scotland (by 131 runs) and Hong Kong (by 145 runs), the event exposed the team to high-level competition. A notable highlight of the late 1990s came at the 1998 European Championship in England, where Italy secured a stunning 6-wicket upset victory over an England Cricket Board (ECB) XI, chasing 200 in 47.3 overs after restricting the opposition to 199.
Throughout this period, Italy faced significant challenges, including limited infrastructure with few suitable pitches and grounds, a small player base of foreigners rather than local talent, and competition for resources against more established European sides. These obstacles limited continued growth, but commitment and early exposure laid the foundations for future development.
Italy Cricket Team Currunt Squad
As of November 2025, the team is focused on preparations for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, following their historic qualification through the Europe Regional Finals in July 2025. The core group of 15 players includes a mix of experienced expatriates and emerging talent. Below is the current squad, with key roles highlighted:
| Players | Role | Batting Style | Bowling Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burns (c) | Opener/Batsman | Right-hand | – |
| Marcus Campopiano | Middle-order/All-rounder | Right-hand | Right-arm off-break |
| Harry Manenti | All-rounder | Right-hand | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Zain Ali (vc) | Wicket-keeper/Batsman | Right-hand | – |
| Anthony Mosca | Top-order Batsman | Right-hand | – |
| Justin Mosca | Top-order Batsman | Right-hand | – |
| Emilio Gay | Middle-order Batsman | Left-hand | Right-arm medium |
| Joy Perera | Middle-order Batsman | Right-hand | Right-arm medium |
| Grant Stewart | All-rounder | Right-hand | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Madupa Fernando | Bowler | Right-hand | Right-arm fast |
| Thikshana Kiripitige | All-rounder | Right-hand | Right-arm off-break |
| Crishan Kalugamage | Bowler | Right-hand | Left-arm leg-break |
| Nikhil Gupta | Bowler | Right-hand | Right-arm medium |
| Stefano di Bartolomeo | Bowler | Right-hand | Right-arm fast-medium |
| Samaru Weerasinghe | Wicket-keeper/Batsman | Right-hand | – |
italy
Italy Cricket Players Salary
Italy’s national cricket team is largely semi-professional, with most of the 2026 T20 World Cup squad (including Wayne Madsen, Ben Mendy) balancing professional cricket commitments elsewhere with jobs outside the game. While they don’t receive high, specific central salaries like major Test-playing nations, they do earn from tournament prize money (e.g., ~$256,000 USD total for the 2026 T20 World Cup) and tournament-specific contracts.
As a reference for professional income in the sport, cricket coaches in Italy can earn between EUR 25,000 and EUR 50,000 per year.
- Italy is an associate cricket nation, not a full ICC member.
- Players are not highly paid like international stars.
- Most reports suggest:
- €0 – €2,000 per match (approx.)
- Some players get small yearly contracts or stipends
- Many players are semi-professional and have other jobs alongside cricket.
One source claims an average of around $1 million/year, but that is not realistic for Italy and is likely inaccurate or exaggerated.
Italy Cricket Team Records & Statistics
The Italy national cricket team has competed in limited-overs One Day Internationals (ODIs) since gaining provisional status in 2019, playing a total of 8 ODIs with 2 wins and 6 losses as of November 2025.
In wider List A cricket, the team has participated in ICC tournaments such as the World Cricket League and Challenge League, accumulating over 60 matches with around 25 wins, reflecting continued progress in the longer formats against associate nations.[64] The team’s inaugural ODI was against Germany on 25 May 2019 at the Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd in Utrecht, where Italy won by 54 runs after posting 327/5.
| Formats | Matches | Wins | Losses | Ties/No Results | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25.00 |
| List A | 60+ | 25 | 32 | 3 | 41.67 |
| T20I | 36 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 66.67 |