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Italy’s World Cup Debut: Cricket Team on the Rise as Storied Soccer Team Falters
- On Saturday, Italy qualified for the expanded 20-team T20 World Cup by finishing second in European qualifying and beating Ireland last week, joining Group C with Scotland, Nepal, England and West Indies in India and Sri Lanka.
- Data-first: around 4,000 registered men's players and around 80 clubs underpin Italy's growth, with Luca Bruno Malaspina calling qualification the end of 45 years of hard work since the Italian Cricket Federation formed in 1980.
- Captain Wayne Madsen leads a 15-man squad featuring wicketkeeper Marcus Campopiano and two sets of Australian brothers, while John Davison and Kevin O'Brien bring overseas coaching experience.
- The federation says qualification should raise cricket's profile and unlock Olympic-linked funding, with plans to enter schools, fund at least one turf pitch, and discuss an Italian franchise in the Proposed European T20 Premier League.
- With virtually no grass cricket pitches at home, Italy still hosts internationals abroad in the Netherlands and England, while federation leaders cite money and bureaucratic hurdles amid Italy's soccer team struggles.
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24 Articles
24 Articles
Washington Top News+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Italy’s World Cup debut: Cricket team on the rise as storied soccer team falters
Italy is finally heading to the World Cup — just not in the sport most people might expect. Amid dark times for the country’s storied but ailing soccer team…
·Washington, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left10Leaning Right1Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution48% Left, 47% Center
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources lean Left, 47% of the sources are Center
48% Left
L 48%
C 47%
Factuality
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