EXCLUSIVE: Inspired by 2006 FIFA WC glory, Italy's cricket 'underdogs' take aim at T20 WC

NEW DELHI: Forza Italia! Forza Italia! The chants inactive reverberate successful the ears of Thomas Draca aft Italy secured a historical qualification for the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Italy booked their spot successful the mega event, acceptable to beryllium held successful India and Sri Lanka, by defeating hosts Netherlands successful the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Region Final.With the Italian emblem draped implicit his shoulders and tears successful his eyes, pacer Draca took a heartfelt triumph thigh astir the Sportpark Westvliet successful Voorburg, Netherlands. It was a profoundly affectional infinitesimal — not conscionable for Draca, but for each of Italy.Long celebrated arsenic a football-mad federation that has produced legends similar Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio and Francesco Totti, Italy is present scripting a caller section — 1 that puts cricket connected the nationalist sporting map.For Draca, it's conscionable the opening — marking the commencement of a caller epoch for cricket successful Italy.

"Honestly, I can't judge it. It's conscionable each surreal astatine the moment. It's been a enactment successful progress. And I think, you know, you look astatine our squad present — erstwhile we get our main squad successful — we're excited and thrilled to beryllium a portion of it. But we're besides thrilled to beryllium capable to vie astatine the planetary level. And that's what we each believe. That's the full goal," Draca told TimesofIndia.com.

"We cognize we'll beryllium the underdogs, but it's much than conscionable going to the World Cup. It's the commencement of thing new. We've wanted to make a instauration for cricket - to animate young kids to prime up a bat alternatively of conscionable playing shot astatine school. So for us, it's much than conscionable qualifying for a World Cup. It's the commencement of thing special," helium said.

Draca was conscionable six years aged erstwhile Italy lifted the FIFA World Cup successful 2006 — their 4th rubric — aft a 5–3 triumph implicit France successful a melodramatic punishment shootout.

The memories of that iconic triumph stay caller for the right-arm pacer, who erstwhile dreamed of becoming a footballer.Playing successful a World Cup had ever been his puerility dream, but destiny had different plans. Now, he’s acceptable to correspond Italy connected the planetary signifier — not successful football, but successful cricket.

"When we telephone Italy, the shot stars travel to mind. But this is the archetypal clip cricket is stepping up. There person been players who’ve been progressive since the aboriginal 2000s.

You look astatine Gareth Berg — he’s devoted overmuch of his vocation to cricket successful Italy. So, it’s not conscionable the past twelvemonth oregon two. Joe Burns made his debut successful 2015. I really met 1 of the aboriginal captains of Italy’s qualifying days. He came to the crushed and told me, 'You’re 1 of my heroes.

' I was like, 'What bash you mean?' And helium said, 'I flew crossed to witnesser this peculiar event.' He played backmost successful 2016 erstwhile Italy was warring to suffice for part cricket," helium said."Joe Burns keeps joking that I americium the caller Totti. And we’ve seen comments astir however Italy couldn’t suffice for the Football World Cup, but present we are qualifying successful cricket! For me, the 2006 Italy shot squad that won the World Cup was inspirational. I retrieve erstwhile they knocked Australia out, and I was ever a shot fan. I lone started taking cricket earnestly astatine 16. I played shot increasing up, truthful the Serie A legends person ever been heroes.

Cricket whitethorn ne'er scope football’s level successful Italy, but to bash thing adjacent adjacent would mean a lot."

As the squad continues to observe their qualification for the T20 World Cup, Draca remains assured that this squad has thing peculiar — a unsocial spark — and believes they are susceptible of creating their ain portion of history."We’re representing a federation that’s inactive caller to cricket, but we privation to animate the adjacent generation.

10-20 years ago, that thought wouldn’t person existed. But now, it’s becoming a reality. "The Federation has ever supported america — radical similar Peter and Michael Di Venuto played successful the aboriginal 2000s. Gareth Berg’s been present since 2012–13. And now, we’ve got players successful the highest of their careers, similar Burns, the Manenti brothers (Ben Manenti and Harry Manenti), and Grant Stewart," the 24-year-old said.