Pakistani-origin Italian opening batter Zain Naqvi — who helped Italy qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 — expressed his desire to play against Pakistan in the mega event and to one day feature in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
In an exclusive interview with Geo News, Zain shared that he moved to Italy with his family when he was around 12 or 13 years old, never imagining that he would one day represent the country in cricket.
“When we moved to Italy, the focus was on education, but cricket had always been my favourite sport. I never thought I’d one day play for Italy’s national team,” Zain said.
He also appealed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to support the construction of cricket stadiums in Italy, highlighting a lack of proper infrastructure.
“There’s a shortage of grounds in Italy. Only a few clubs have access to proper facilities. Now that we’ve qualified for the T20 World Cup, I hope the ICC will help develop cricket infrastructure here,” he added.
Zain explained that his consistent performance in domestic cricket helped him break into the national side.
He transitioned from tape-ball cricket to hard-ball and eventually impressed selectors during Italy’s domestic tournaments.
“I never imagined I would represent the Italian national team. I started with tape-ball and later switched to hard-ball cricket. After performing well in domestic cricket for two years, I got selected in 2021,” he said.
Zain also reflected on Italy’s missed opportunity to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, stating they lost a crucial match to Ireland, which cost them a spot.
“We had a real chance to qualify in 2023 but missed out after a defeat to Ireland. That moment made us believe that Italy can make it to the World Cup,” he remarked
Regarding Italy’s recent qualification, he said the team entered the 2026 qualifiers with full preparation and their hard work paid off.
He also urged the ICC to give Italy more international matches, saying the sport is growing rapidly in the country.
“Cricket is developing quickly in Italy, but the ICC only gives us a limited number of matches. Now that we’ve qualified for the T20 World Cup, we hope to get more opportunities,” he remarked.
Zain expressed his wish to play against India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup and participate in popular leagues like the PSL and IPL in the future.
“It’s a personal dream to play against Pakistan and India in the T20 World Cup. I also want to play in the PSL and IPL one day,” he said.
He also praised Italy’s captain Joe Burns, calling him an excellent player and a great human being.
“Joe Burns is a big name who has played for Australia. He brings high-level experience to the team. He’s a great leader and a humble person,” he concluded.
