Former England seamer Jade Dernbach has been included in Italy’s squad for next month’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier.
Dernbach played 24 ODIs and 34 T20Is for England from 2011 to 2014. He will likely add to the T20I tally, but this time for Italy, next month.
Former England batsman Owais Shah, meanwhile, has been named Italy’s assistant coach.
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“Covid-19 has limited our possibilities of choice. This is not yet the national team that we would have wanted and could have fielded, but it is certainly the best possible at the moment,” said Italian Cricket Federation president Fabio Marabini.
“After all, we share the same problems with other nations, even if perhaps the others have had the opportunity to prepare themselves better. Jersey, for example, reserved the playing field for the entire previous period, but we are not hiding. None of the opponents are not within our reach.
“None of them have not already been beaten recently, so we have to go and play it openly, without awe, knowing that we have fielded the best.”
Italy squad for T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier
- Gareth Berg (captain and head coach)
- Jade Dernbach
- Madupa Fernando
- Jamie Grassi
- Grant Stewart
- Darren Low
- Dinidu Marage
- Gian-Piero Meade
- Joy Perera
- Amir Sharif
- Baljith Singh
- Jaspreet Singh
- Manpreet Singh
- Nikolai Smith
Italy will play Jersey, Germany and Denmark at the qualifier, which is part of the pathway to the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The South African-born Craig Meschede and Dieter Klein, meanwhile, have been named in Germany’s squad for the same tournament.