On 12 February at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Italy beat Nepal by 10 wickets: the national team’s first win at a cricket World Cup, on its debut at the T20 World Cup. Nepal were bowled out for 123; Italy reached 124 without loss in 12.4 overs, with brothers Anthony and Justin Mosca unbeaten on 62 and 60. Spinner Crishan Kalugamage also starred with 3 for 18.
Roots in the parks
Cricket in Italy grew thanks to migrants from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who in the 1980s and 1990s played on shared football pitches and makeshift nets. Today there are more than a hundred clubs across the country. Among the historic ones is Rome Bangla Morning Sun, born in the capital’s Bangladeshi community.
On the road to qualification the national team also gave space to players of Bangladeshi origin such as Rakibul Hasan Babu, Anam Mollik and Ayan Samir, alongside players of Italian heritage raised in Australia and England.
“Visibility and belonging”
“It’s about visibility. It’s about belonging,” said Italian Cricket Federation president Maria Lorena Haz Paz. For many Bangladeshi youngsters born or raised in Italy, seeing Italy win at a cricket World Cup means feeling represented twice.
