Italy: Cricketer Zain Naqvi aims to face Pakistan in T20 world cup

Rome: Pakistani-origin Italian opener Zain Naqvi has expressed his strong desire to play against Pakistan in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

In an interview, Zain shared his journey from moving to Italy as a teenager to representing the country on the international cricket stage.

Zain explained that when he moved to Italy with his family at the age of 12 or 13, he never imagined he would one day play cricket for Italy. Although education was the main focus, his love for cricket remained strong, eventually leading him to join the national team.

Highlighting the challenges faced by Italian cricket, Zain appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for more support. He pointed out that Italy lacks proper cricket facilities, and only a few clubs have access to quality grounds. He hopes that ICC will help build better infrastructure now that Italy has qualified for the World Cup.

Zain described his progress from playing tape-ball cricket to hard-ball cricket and performing well in domestic tournaments. His consistent performances helped him secure a spot in the Italian national team in 2021. He also reflected on Italy’s near miss at the 2023 World Cup qualification, which motivated the team to work harder.

He further urged the ICC to provide Italy with more international matches, emphasizing the fast growth of cricket in the country. With more opportunities, Zain believes Italy can compete better on the global stage and gain valuable experience before the World Cup.

Finally, Zain expressed his dream to play against top teams like Pakistan and India in the World Cup. He also hopes to participate in popular leagues such as the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) one day. He praised Italy’s captain Joe Burns for his leadership and experience, which have been vital for the team’s success.