Episode 114: Italy at the 2026 Cricket World Cup

This episode of the Italian Australian podcast was recorded on Wadandi, Wajakununga, Wajah. We pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging and to all Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people listening to this podcast. Chalamichi, thanks for listening to the Italian Australian podcast, will be bringing you your weekly connection to all things Italian Australian. I reminder to all of our Perth listeners that the new show by the Italian Theatre of W.A. starts this week. Imaneji Pedmaritara Unifilia is a classic Italian comedy and will be performed at the Old Milt Theatre in South Perth. For tickets, see the links in the show notes or via the Instagram page. This week we bring you an amazing chat with brothers from New South Wales, Aj and Justin Moscah. They share their remarkable journey of playing great cricket in New South Wales to becoming international crickers representing Italia. We speak about Italy's amazing achievement of qualifying for the World Cup in 2026 for the T20 tournament where Aj and Justin will be representing Liatuli. Now is the time to make sure you're following us on your streaming app. If you have a spare moment, we would also really appreciate to rate the show and leave us a review. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. And now for the show. Ben Tornati and thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Italian Australian podcast. I'm your host Lucas Dacquille, join me with my sister, Josie, how are you? I'm well thanks, Bonne Sera. And we're also joined by another set of siblings as well. I believe it's only the second time it hasn't happened very often anyhow on the podcast. Ben, is it third? Is it third? Yeah, we had Sandra and Diana from the little one of Ben and her club, my good friends. And then we also had our two aunties, those sisters. Of course, I forgot about the Zias anyhow. It doesn't happen every week. So pretty cool. We'll see if there's a bit of banter amongst these guys as it is with us. And we have two guys that are representing Italy in the National Cricket Field here. So we'll introduce AJ and Justin Mosca to the podcast. Thanks guys. Hey, he's going on AJ and Justin's obviously next to me. Yeah, thanks for having us on. Thanks for coming on. So yeah, is there a little bit of banter bit of competitiveness, particularly obviously you're playing aside each other now? Anything like that? Yeah, I think it just comes with the territory as siblings. I think especially in cricket, it's very prominent. We have another set of brothers that we're playing for, we're going to be cricket with them, and then T-boys. Yes. And the banter is quite fierce, so thinking to skin on, probably the reason. We will ever get to where we are to be. Could be brutally honest. Yeah. Is it just you guys, if we go other siblings? We've got a younger sister. So our poor younger sister's got a couple of herfaces as well. Got the few bounces in the backyard, that's what you're saying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. It's just us two. So we fire all our shots at each other. There's no one else there. Directing to. But yeah, so we're, I'm so excited to have you guys on with both massive cricket fans. And yeah, I'm just think it's so cool that obviously you guys are qualified for the T-20 World Cup coming up next year. So we're going to speak about that a lot. But we'd like to go back to the early days like we generally do with the guests. And just so if you can tell us and listen to this a little bit about your family and when they came to Australia, where they're from, they were from Italy and that sort of thing. Yeah. Right. So obviously both parents are Italian. So on my dad's side, they obviously fled the war from Brutsor. Whenever that was 45, I think it was obviously like with most of the Italians, that sort of migrated here around that time. They got on the boat. So they migrated here, obviously along with my mother's side too. So my mom's dad's a color breezy. And my mom's mom's up in the series as well from Cumberbussor. Okay. So obviously around that time, they all obviously tried to flee the war zone for a better life. And that happened to end up in Sydney. And I think my mom actually started in my mom's mom started in Melbourne. And then met my normal there. And then they made the transition to Sydney. So and then ever since then, we've just grown up in sort of an Italian household. I remember our street in Morebank was, we had all our aunties and uncles, Zian Zils, all along the street. So, you know, we'd be walking up the road of an afternoon after school. Zio Conjetto, we sit at the front with the gelato. Yeah. And we had our auntie across the road and up the street. There's our other aunties. And then the next street, there was more cousins. And we always to go, spend a lot of time with each other. See how's this growing up. And obviously now they've sort of moved on now, that generation. And I think sort of our generation sort of moved on in their own ways in life. So, yeah. Our bring was pretty good as very Italian like until we went to cricket training. Then we'll go against. Yeah. I was going to ask that I mean, you're explaining, it sounds like a very sort of typical islo-Australian upbringing there like a lot of us have had. But I don't know what's like for you guys over there, but a lot of Italian Australians over our way, at least in my experience, did play cricket at a local level. So I was wondering, was it not so much like that for you guys over there, were they more into other sports or? Now, very much the same, I think like, like A.J. O'San, the street where we sort of grew up in all of the Seppji, which is our hometown from background. They sort of all moved in the same area. And they almost came to Australia and just brought into whatever the culture was over here. So in the summer it was cricket. They all speak still now about playing cricket, younger whether they're at school or in the streets. And in summer they followed rugby league. So, yeah. Like, in winter they came over and followed rugby league down here. So they just almost got a month's the culture of the Australian way and that was the thing to do. So they all love cricket. They all talk about how they used to play cricket. And I think it always got passed out to generations like even growing up Christmas and Easter in those streets. It was always a game of cricket or rugby league or stuff going on in the back yard. So, yeah. They came over and they all played at some level. I don't know what kind of level, but they all played and they all still speak about how much they loved the game. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, it's always interesting. We did an episode, Josie. What was that back? There's one of the earlier ones, kind of on Italians and the sport and almost the lack of. I mean, once you get to the level of people who've represented Australia and other countries would be like New Zealand or England or places where Italians did migrate to. And I mean, I don't even think we were able to put together a team like me and we were rattling off a few of the guys that played. Yeah, that's right. I'm not sure if they drop away. I'm not sure how it works. I mean, if you look at the Australian team, traditionally, you can only get a couple of names. You know, there's not really many. But yeah, so you've had the traditional upbringing there, then you've got into the sport. And then so when for you guys, was it always quite a serious thing playing from a junior level or like how did you guys end up obviously to where you are at the moment? Yeah, obviously we grew up as all Italian Australians do. We started playing soccer in the winter and Krigger was in the summer and it probably wasn't a two or fifteen. I remember that having a conversation with me personally and you sort of said it's going to get to a stage where you're going to have to pick which sport you want to focus on if you want to go down that path. And I was okay at soccer. I was a bit more of a good toolster, but I know there was no good tools as the best. That doesn't know that he's it. He wasn't. He wasn't a butcher. But you need to leave some of them in each side, you know what I mean? You don't win the 2006 World Cup without re-enacting. Yeah, I see. Well, after that, I knew it probably soccer wasn't the avenue. It wasn't going to get down, but it wasn't good enough. And yeah, it took the Krigger path and yeah, so it took that real seriously for the last or I'd probably say 20 years from 34 now. Yeah, I'd say 20 years, which is pretty much just Krigger because the off season pretty much overlapped soccer and you couldn't really commit with soccer. Yeah. And then obviously injuries, risk of injuries if you wanted to play a high level Krigger. You probably didn't want to run that risk. So yeah, we put soccer aside and then just became maybe just a kick around the backyard with a couple of mates. Justin, so yeah, that's pretty much it. I think Justin was the same path really around the same time. Yeah, AJ is a few years older than me. So I loved him with soccer. Like I loved it a lot. But I always, in summer, I was always with, we always as a family, sort of watching AJ ever over here was playing at his representative level and you know, the older he sort of worked through the grades. So yeah, once I got to that age, I was just a bit like well, I want to do what AJ is doing. So I sort of just followed down that path as well. I loved my soccer, but there's something to be a Krigger and being in that team environment that just kept dragging us in that direction I think. I'll sort of disobey what I want to do. - Really? - Yeah. - That makes sense, I mean, yeah. And I think you can't obviously, you don't have to say these exact age sort of gap, I always do, Joe, say she's the older one as well, but you're probably looking up to what your older brother is doing and I'm sure that would influence you a little bit, you know, makes sense. - Yeah, my fault, but I always, I like how you guys have a stab in the back of what you think you're doing. - Oh, I just say a couple of years. I'll leave it there. - That's it. - That's offensive, you know. - I know, I know experience from Josie. - You know what, I've said that before, remember I called you, fence, that I, - You do call me a fence, that was off air one time and we had that. - Oh, that's on air, Josie. - Was it on air? - Yeah. - I think we had a whole thing and you were like, fine, I'm gonna sit on the fence and I'm here, I'm on the fence and I'll find. - Yeah, that was one of the recording shows. - Oh, I know. - So you used me live on something. - Yeah, I forgot. - I was like, he's gonna get pretty uncomfortable sitting there, but. - Josie's a bit about four years older than me, I think. Is that, sorry, Justin, is that what you're asking? Yeah, Josie's about four years older than me. - Yeah. - Three is eight months to be exact, there you go. - Yeah, I'll say you obviously look after Josie. - For some regards, for some things. - Yeah. - Some things that we'll say yes. No, no, no, I do for probably most things to be honest. Josie's a nurse, so Josie's like my private nurse, I asked Dr. Ringer for, she's like my hotline. That's not good for bone, Ringer for anything. Especially now I've got a little girl, a little baby, she's almost two. The amount of times I've run Josie before ringing anyone else. You know, when I've been overseas, there's something I've been able to just ring Josie. - Oh, I've got a few questions. - Yeah, good. - Thank you. And some of the questions I find, they're pretty amusing. You're like, I've been to the doctor, but I don't know. He said I can have this with this and go, okay. Yeah, you're gonna get the personal tick of approval for me, so that's really nice. - Yeah, that's me. I tell you what, how crucial is the sister? Even with the sister, I'm always ringing her. Even if I had to book a flight at the domestic flight, I'd be ringing Steph, my sister, going, "Dimond," or maybe you could give me a bit of money on the side, yeah. - Yeah. - Now what does that do for you? I'm providing those money for a, yeah. - Yeah. - Now you just need that, I don't know, some of that's ultra-switched. Josie's a little bit more switched on than me, a bit clodied into most things. So, you know, it doesn't help. - Different ways. - Different ways are helping. - I don't, maybe I need to start charging. - All right, now I'll start adding my, I call it Steph Tax. - Yeah. - It's always Steph Tax, I just, there we go, yeah, you want that Steph Tax, I'll do extra 10 bucks on 20 bucks. - Actually keep it all in the family, I suppose. - That's great, I love it. - I don't really get to be returned. - No. - My birthday present's nothing. - Oh well. - Still Tom. - Sorry. - It's so good. - But I'm not so good. - One of the ask you guys, when did, so obviously, why just go back a little bit as well? You guys probably know, or I dare say, you would know more than I do about it, but it's quite interesting to know that Italy does have a bit more of a history with quicker than people probably actually realize, like AC Milan, some of the original football team started off as a dual establishment, I suppose, and have some English roots in the founding of that sort of thing. So I know there's been games played, like I was just doing some reading before this, and the game is like hundreds of years ago and stuff like that. It obviously didn't take off like it has done in other parts of the world. But yeah, when did you guys sort of think, one day you could really sickly be playing for Italy, and when was that a reality? - Yeah, I think in about 2019, so when we play our great career down here in Sydney, Benny Minenti obviously played some big bass career for the sixes around that time, maybe big bass debut, and someone had reached out to him in regards to his Italian heritage, and sort of put some feelers out about having interest in playing or if he was eligible to play for the Italian setup. We didn't even know there was an Italian side at the time, and then Benny sort of got us involved during contact with the people, and we were actually supposed to play around 2019, 20, but then COVID hit. So all right, of course, that sort of all went, got swept under the carpet, and we sort of just thought, well, that's never gonna happen again. You know, in that time, no one knew what was on the other side of the hill. So with the ball got rolling, and then once everything opened up, we got out through the citizenship, and then there was a tournament in Finland, and it all went from there really, like they got us over for a tournament in Finland in 2022. And to be pretty honest with you, when it first happened, I think we're all a bit like. We didn't know what was gonna come, was it gonna be just a bit of a holiday, or a bit of Mickey Mouse, cricket, but we found out pretty quickly, when we went over there, as you know, Talien's a passionate people, and they weren't having us there just to feel in a bit of time, they were pretty serious about what they wanted to do, and we've had some fun along the way with it. They didn't get me wrong, but it's been awesome just to be a part of that community, and to see how passionate, how invested some of those Italians are that live over there. It's a very minority, but they are so passionate, mate. They give it everything, which is, it gives you so much courage to go and do well for them. - Yep, yeah, that's awesome. - How did you guys go, you're getting your passports? Was that a bit of an adventure, like it was fast? - No, look, it's probably the same in Western Australia, but it was a two-year wait for an appointment here. - Wow. - And I think that obviously set us back, and set the Italians back with tournaments, playing cricket, friddle, and stuff, and then we obviously got in contact and let them know that that's a situation here in Sydney. And then within a space of four months, there was an appointment, and our passports were delivered. - Nice. - Of course, I'm not surprised. I was just expecting some kind of story like that. So yeah, thank you for confirming. - It just shows. I wonder what the doing of the other times didn't, like you hear things like that, and it's just, yeah. - By then, they must pick and choose there, and what they want to do. To be honest, they're only open from nine to 12. - Yeah, yeah. - Yeah. - 'Cause if you see, - No comments. - No emails. Can't walk in this year on an appointment. Even if you do, they probably have, we had a shocking experience. You spoke better the couple of times. It's been a bit of an arm-air, but when we got there in the end. - It was like a movie, though. It was one of those comedy movies, or those scenes at the airport when they're trying to ask a question to the person, especially the first chick that we had for the appointments. - I've never felt like I was putting someone out more in my life just for turning up and trying to do something like quite a normal thing. - At the place it works as well. - At the, you know, it's almost, but anyway, I think everyone's had that shared experience. I think it's-- - Is it similar to here where it's like a two-year wait or what, not? - We weren't too bad, I reckon we only, maybe like four months or something. It wasn't too bad. And funny, you say that I've got a message from one of my cousins today, and he only booked an appointment at the start of the week, and he's got a date already for next month sometime. But I think it's changed a lot now with the new legislations that have come in and so many less people can actually apply for it now because they don't reach the criteria now. So I mean, that's meant to be the idea of it from what I know. So yeah, I was quite surprised, actually, 'cause I told him, I said, "May you go and wait for a long time." I said, "You'll get it, but just be prepared to wait." And he texted me, "I'm going next month." - We had a stage there, I'm sure she told us, the lady told us to go get our birth certificate, original birth certificate, it's translated into Italian. So they went to the birth certificate, and marriages, whatever it was, when in PAI, whatever it was to get a translate and took them back to us, she didn't know that I need to do a original copy in English. (laughing) Sorry, so you don't need to say anymore? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - We had things like that as well. We had to do it twice, but I can't remember what the problem was. But we had to, something was wrong. I can't remember what the story was Lucas, but we had to. Now I know what the behind the glass thing, I said that another episode. But when I first went in, I thought, "That's extreme." Behind the glass and everything, and you feel a bit. By the end of it, I understand. - It was a long time ago. This was nine years ago, or something that we did out. It wasn't even like there was no COVID or anything to have the, the perspex there. Yeah, there was something. We went and we had to do that whole thing, go in and get it a possible or something. We had a lot of doubling up and. - I've raised it on my memory, it was, it was the same. And then we did have some legitimate mistakes and the documents, which was fair enough, which is extra frustrating, 'cause it's like, "All right, that's fair, but now we have to get a change and spellings and stuff." - Did you talk about siblings? I never would have done that. I've said it before. I would never would have done it without Lucas dragging me. And the only reason we did it really was because I was on maternity leave. So we're dragging around my newborn, like around like Perth going here, going there, going back. But otherwise, that before that was, obviously always working full time. And he probably couldn't have convinced me to take the day off work. However, I'm very glad that I've got it. - Yeah, absolutely. - Yep, I've been. - It's very careful. And obviously you can jump through the lines when you're in Europe as you guys would know. You guys, you'll be in trouble. - Yeah. - Yeah, not for a while. We went balled through this, 'cause we said on every single episode I think, but we both spent a fair bit of time in Italy on several trips, but not for ages. It's always been 10 years for both of us now. So, Drew, you get back over there. - We're sure. - And I was gonna ask you, I'll pop it up now, 'cause so have you guys got to actually spend like a decent amount of time in Italy as well? Which sounds a bit stupid, I don't know, often you're playing games, other parts. You know, so have you got to spend significant time over there? - Yeah, definitely. So every year we have to go to Rome to do, obviously our medical stuff. So, and obviously cricket's gonna be an Olympic sport or 2020, yeah, 2028. So once we've fly to Rome, we have to go to the Olympic Village, which is like the AIS, I'm pretty sure. - When I add. the Olympics there in is a 64 something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I haven't changed, however, they built it to say, hasn't changed. Yeah. But the medical, the medical room is top, top, top notch. Okay. But you obviously go stay there for three, four days. You have to do your stress test, obviously your drug test, all that sort of stuff. And then so you spend three nights in the village there, you obviously wake up in the morning, you go see the nonnies that they're behind the counter. It's like, you know, you get your tray, you go there and you can have your whatever it is in the morning, might be your eggs or you might be pastries and it's obviously a lot of athletes in there. And then there's you got ones that are strict and you know, you probably got ones that, you know, will have the past, you know, the pastry or whatever it is. So there's a whole variety there. Then you go sit down and then, you know, lunchtime, you can go back there and then you'll be put to the left over there. There'll be, you know, anything you want. So in the same thing as you know, I wouldn't be moving much. I wouldn't be, I wouldn't be, I wouldn't be rolling the armway from my job after that. The first thing we went into this village was where cricket is all right. So cricket, when you think about cricket, you think playing long days of cricket and then having to be at the end of the day. So when this Olympic village, for the first time as the Italian national team and we had a bit of a training session in the morning in one of the synthetic hockey fields, we just started building and throwing. And then four o'clock rolled around and we walked into the cafe, we were sitting there with six long-necks of pro-Ni around the table. Yeah. Just having to be like, like, lucky wood at the end of any other training session. And we got some arrives coming from all angles. Oh yeah, no doubt. Yeah, yeah. From our CEO at the time because we were supposed to be professional, all we, very professional set up and there was Olympic athletes there and we're just like a long-necks of pro-Ni for a coffee and past. Yeah, yeah. It's not that bad though. It's not like, is there a year or no in there like shooting up or something? I mean, it's only a beer. And we had to try to explain to him, but this is, this is what cricket's built on. The English team, the Australian team, you know, all those teams are built on sort of that camaraderie sitting around and having a laugh and a drink at the end of a day, whatever it would be. And they couldn't quite get their head around that in Italy because the Italian soccer side and the athletes, they are so professional. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I can fully understand that it's on, you know, different sort of thing, but even when I've gone there and like sometimes, you know, I remember distinctively once I'm going to the beach with some family and I've got two beers at a time just because like, I don't know, just thought by the time I go back and get another one, they looked at me and it's like, they're rocks, they just like, what's he's played to? And it's not too stubby. This is the Australian though. This is where we are Italian Australian and not the same as Italians. And that's something we've spoken about a lot on the podcast and as much as like we're in Australia, like we're very Italian and different to say, you know, like Aussies, but we're not the same as Italians and I think this is a great example of that. I'm loving that. Yeah, absolutely. I think we're covered with beer, we're quite slanging in the way we speak. So I often cop then on a bit of a bogan Italian and hence what I started to grab my eggs, I thought I have to at least look apart, I can't just go there and just slaying my way through. So it's what brings everyone together in that side that we have. We have people from South Africa, people from England, people from Pakistan there, people from Italy. So it's a good mix and yeah, that's what I'm going to ask you as well. Obviously I've seen the names, seen some of the players and stuff. So obviously everyone there basically holds an Italian passport to play for the team. But I suppose everyone's got there from a different sort of avenues. So you've got guys like yourself with the heritage and then obviously some Italian ball players and then from what I know there's several players like you mentioned from different places. So it must be quite a unique sort of like addressing room. Yeah, very unique sort of squad there because most of the I'm imagining a lot of other teams probably have players all from one country with the odd exception but you guys are very probably multicultural as well. Yeah, and that's our challenge we have there. Like we had a really good cultural piece in the tournament that we just went that just went well. I've had a good team cultural piece where everyone's sort of spoke about their family in the way having this pay for Italy which was really cool to see everyone's different avenues of life and having got to this one point. It works for us a lot but it also works against this a lot because a lot of these other teams are from the same place and live, breathe, train, create together and we sort of get put together once or twice a year in high pressure tournaments and have to try and make it work. But I think the thing that works in our favour is that the Italian culture they're so passionate, they're telling us a passion, all these people bring their passions to that one team and sort of works for us in those tournaments because we play blood playing freely and love the heritage where we're from or work, you know it's given some people a new breath of life for people that live there recently. So, well, finally enough, I'll tell you on that, so when we got there obviously we had a meeting about what it means to play freely and each person at the stand up and discuss what a man and obviously for a lot of us it was our grandparents, blood, blood, so on and and then I look left and right after a few of the boys got up and there was 20 grand man including coaching staff just boiling their eyes out. Oh wow! It was like that's how from there I reckon that those like an inseparable sort of start to what was yet to come. And then obviously we went into the Scotland game and in these tournaments every game's a grand final, you know any loss is like same with soccer, you know if you lose your first game in a good stage you know you're on the back full straight away. So we got into the Scotland game and we played them in a trial before and they beat us but then after that meeting we just after that bond got together we had a players meeting just about the Scotland team and then at the end of it we sat down and out of nowhere we had the slideshow of each and every one of our parents with a Tony Shirt on just saying congratulations whatever, how proud of them they are of us and what not and then once again 20 blocks of crying again and it was like you know then we got onto the bus the next day we went and played sculling and you could just see that the boys were in the zone. No one really spoke to each other it was just like everyone was just in the zone I remember getting on the bus and it was from our hotel to the game was probably 15 minutes and I had I had the Gladiator theme on repeat literally on repeat until we got to the ground just like I'm doing this with my family we all are and like that game was probably dual die for us at the stage. If we win that then we pretty much qualify. However once we won that game there was another twist in the tail. Scotland would do another team a less ranked team which we all thought they were going to win however they got they lost so that meant when we go to play Holland we have to win or lose by certain margins so we will not guarantee. Yeah I was reading all this and Holland's actually been like a quite a decent side in different tournaments haven't they like over the years they've done pretty well. Yeah I think they're very good luck up. Yeah I think they're very good so a very underrated team I think they're very good and they're one of those nations I was just talking about they're professional cricketers over there you know that's some again that a few actually had a few plays from Os as well. Yeah yeah but they because they're full time they play to you over there and they live there and in their home backyard yeah they're good side they're really good nation a lot of these teams are to be honest they're just it's a social cricket like what we play in is a social cricket so a lot of me know nations yeah so it throws up all different contests for everyone it's it's good good to be a part of. And would it be fair to say like would you guys have been underdogs in most of the games or 50-50s or with the games and you use the kind of the pressure words you should win or I reckon three years ago we're obviously underdogs who are really and then we in these one day even the one day tournaments not only T20s the one day tournaments we started to with we're beating a lot of the decent countries that have played at a high level and we're beating them now they're pretty convincingly and then obviously we started to get a name and I think in this in the qualifiers it just when those rumours going around that Holland and Scotland had their eyes on us so obviously a threat they knew they knew what what quality we have in our team and yeah so I don't know who the underdogs are I I thought we had a lot of pressure put on us just because we were you know we had we won 20 in a row of T20s I think and I feel going in there like the pressures on us and we got a bit of an old an old squad a lot of us doing out 30s we got a few in the 20s so this was our sort of time to if we're going to put it on the map it's now yeah so I think I don't think we were the underdogs or went in there we all went in there knowing that there was quite a fair bit of pressure leading into that tournament and obviously we were a threat because the other teams were feariness so that was yeah I wouldn't say we're quite underdogs probably weren't favorites but we weren't the underdogs yeah next big thanks in there all right yeah was next big taste for us to do though which should make it more difficult I suppose before maybe like you're saying it's like might have been easy to go out there and the still would happen to play then you probably get to the level like you said you winning games and then flips the other side then you feel in the pressure from you know it's kind of like what's worse if you yeah well the thing is in there in all of these tournaments that we've played, look, I'll go as far as saying as I have, there hasn't been, there isn't more high pressure than in these tournaments. Even these ones we play on the right to this one because Italian Federation for Criguet hangs on if we do well or not in these tournaments. So if we lose, or if we don't, if I take it back to last year when we played in a sub-resonal qualified, they call it, so you have to win that to then be a part of this one. If you don't qualify that, if you don't win that, your nation doesn't get funding. So it'll be a good cause there's no money. So all of these tournaments, all these games you play, it's like if you don't win, it could be the end of your Federation, or they have to start from scratch, and they've got no money and people start to pay their own flights over and things like that. - Oh, it's huge, yeah, that's a massive refueling. - So every time it's so high pressure, and then this tournament here, it was essentially a million Euro tournament, I think it was maybe a 500 Euro tournament. So if you win, ICC, Fund, you X amount, if you lose, you get no money and you go back to the sub-resonal, which is in a couple of years, and for the position Italy was in, I don't think they could afford to keep going back to the start again. So the pressure of these tournaments, life, they're up there, and don't worry, they let you know, as an Italian, they don't hold anything in, so they let you know, they're singing over your head. Which is good in the aspect, like it's good, it brings better to it, and I think I've got no doubt, and a couple of years we'll look back and say, how good was it to be able to be in that position where people are literally hanging their livelihoods or a federation on the hopes of you. So it's cool. - Yeah, it's fun. - Oh, it's epic. It's epic, I mean, you know, for the rest of the time, you guys look back and say, "You in this first team that's qualified for like a massive tournament." So yeah, so it's pretty special, really, when you think about it, especially, you know, where you've come from, and yeah, I mean, I find it really fascinating actually. I wanted to ask you what it's like having Joey Burns, you know, in your squad playing with a guy that's played Test Matches for Australia, and I love Joey Burns when he played. I mean, I was a very hack-opening bat, so I've always liked opening bat. But yeah, so I actually really like Joey Burns, and I didn't even know he had the Italian heritage and stuff when he played, and then I found that afterwards and all that, but that must be a thrill getting to play with him. - Yeah, it is. It obviously brings a wealth of experience. It's always good to have someone who's played Test cricket playing alongside. You know, just even if you sit in the sheds or at dinner, you know, you'll share a story that happened in a Test Match, and I often learned my cricketing stuff with talking to guys off the field about their experiences, things that happened in the game. That's how I feel it I learn. Whereas other guys probably need to see it visually, or training or whatnot. I just listen to all these guys talk about, you know, big players have played against, and what happened, and it's like, "Well, that's amazing. I want to do something like that." For me, that's how I learn. Joey brings some of those great stories, and he's obviously a great player. He's a Play Test Match cricket. But his experience is what's key for us. - Yep, no doubt. - The beauty is that we have a few of them in that side of life. We have a couple of, or we have a lot of very, very experienced craters that have been accepted at the highest level, and even some that have finally trained and out the highest level, you know, we have Wayne Madsen, Benningman Entie, Chris Stewart, you know, Amelia Gaetz, just to name a few. Plus, some that have come and gone before us, and set the platform for us. We had Gareth Burke, who ran the ship for a long time, so we've been so lucky with the players we've had to rub shoulders with, but some of them like myself, and I'm not sure what the problem is, I'd probably say the same thing. You never dream about playing with people of this, players of this caliber. So to be able to sit in the train room for these people, and just see how they go about their work, and you get to see the difference between what you're used to, and what it takes to be up at the next level. So, we're very, again, very, very fortunate to be rubbing shoulders with all of these people, and they all bring something very special, as well as all of the other players do to be fair. Well, I mean, you need the whole squad, don't you? I mean, you know, and I'm sure these guys are bringing the other guys up and getting the best out of them. We haven't really spoke specifically, but if you can, I'm told the list is a bit about your actual roles in the team, and that's what it thinks. I think Justin, you bet up the top. Yeah, just the, man, I'm nuggety little left hand on the open to batting, and, man, yeah, just try and get my way through, and get the team up to a good start. I think one thing I've learnt, playing for you and playing with these boys, is I get an opportunity to set the time for our batting innings. So, typically, I like to take the first ball of every innings, so I feel like, you know, I can try and set a tone. Yeah, a lot of times it doesn't go my way, and I put the boys on the back foot, but yeah, that's my role. Open the batting and try bringing a bit of energy around the group, I suppose. Nice. Well, most of. Yeah, most of my career has been at number three and four, and then these qualifiers, I think, were after the coaches were after a bit more adaptability, so not just pigeon-holing myself at three or four. So then, time to go through my trade at number eight. That was probably what was best for the team. In that moment, or those wickets, and I had to go learn quickly about that. That was the first time. Batten air, you've obviously got no time to have a look at a few boys. You've got to go from word go, because you're generally coming in at the end of the innings. So, it was a new year old for me. So, there's something I'm working on, and then moving forward, not sure what will happen. It's just that being adaptable in my end. Yeah. Now, I think that it's definitely a particularly hard place to come in. I mean, in T20 or any short of format these days, where the games play, you don't have heaps of time to go about it, but coming into that state, it's just probably not many scenarios when you have to get a time to really play yourself in and all. How you're going to. Yeah. You're going to have to just go straight away. Well, those wickets over there, they'll be. You couldn't really throw your hands through the line, and it was tough to hit a few like sixes, unless you had like your. Like we've got a wrench through it. It was a big six foot four. You could just muscle in. Yeah. Where a lot of us traditional guys probably need to have a nice swing. And I found that hard on those wickets, because I'll bet to pace. So, I hope to learn a short time to find a way from ball one to get a swing happening on those wickets, because, yeah, you have to. Anyway, from six, seven and eight, your job sort of to bring the game home. Yeah. So, when you look at a batting number three and four, you're like, "Are you black? It's good. It's easy." But then when you're down there, it's actually your turn. It's like, "It's your fault if you don't bring it home." Yeah. It's a tough position. Yeah. And so, yeah, most of the wickets are just saying the boarders hold up a little bit, is it, or is it kind of. It doesn't come onto the bat. Yeah. Like, you're Australia. We used to. We used to pace coming on. And then, you know, you'd have some balls if they bolt off cutters into the wicket, it would just hold. So, you'd have to hold your swing. You know, there was the odd ones that would keep low. So, it was pretty unpredictable. Yeah. What would you say? They played on, say, in Australia, our wickets are just turf and what. You know, like, I've got a hard pound on the bottom of them. Over there was. They were called hybrid wickets, I think, synthetic and turf over there. So, they were very, very. Like, they were so dry. Yeah. Yeah, it was dry. It was completely different conditions on parts and sandalite that before. So, it's very. It's very. Just didn't have the same. It wasn't what we used to. Yeah. But, we were so prepared from our coaching staff that we managed to find our way through. Which was. Yeah, yeah. I think a lot of people, the average is listed on a massive cricket fad, don't realise the intricate parts of the sport as well. Hey, it's such a fickle sport as well from game to game and conditions and all that sort of stuff. I mean, even in the shorter formats, there's. You know, I think a lot of people just, you know, might say the big bashed on or something and to see blokes, pipe and sixes and everything and whatever. But there's a lot of, you know, variants, hey, in the. In the game. Yeah. Go on on this tournament, like, spin. All these tournaments have been playing on over the years. It's all been like, you know, Malaysia, Uganda, Hong Kong, all these. All these. All these dry countries where the board grips in turn say, "All of a sudden, you've got out the sweep shot or a verse sweep." Otherwise, the bowl was just dot you up, whereas here in Australia, you could just punch and punch down the ground and, you know, because it comes on nice and true. There's not much spin. So you've actually. We've had to adapt our games. Most of us Aussie boys have had to adapt our games. So it's obviously made us better cricketers, to be able to play anywhere around the ground. So that's obviously a bonus. But yeah, being able to. As soon as you get off that flight, you have to. You've got a short amount of time to get yourself ready to prepare on those conditions while you're in those countries to get ready to do well in those tournaments. But yeah. I think the attraction to cricket is like it's a sport uphill and all other sports, called you say the same thing, but I feel like it's a sport that you actually never. You never defeat the game and cricket like it's one of the great levels you ever get in life. And if you compare it to life, it's very much the same. You have moments where you're flying and it's the best thing in the world. And then you go through periods where you're struggling and just go. And this is the worst game ever to play. So it's a great life level. And I think it's the attraction of trying to, you know, constantly try to get better at that game and. And almost try and just find a way to beat it. You never will, but, you know, the attraction to improve and try and get better at it. It's just what keeps us going and keeps the people and keeps the game interesting. I think forever. Yeah, that's very very well said. Like you said Lucas maybe not everyone will follow. But I think yeah as to like big cricket fans that's, I find that like fascinating. I hadn't even really considered that about the pitch has been different. And obviously it makes sense that they would be. Yeah, that is so interesting. Yeah, exactly. And to be honest, you never get used to it. Like us still wake up in the Saturday morning and go to our great drink and you're doing look at the weekend. And I think what's happening out here today. Yeah. The thing is out on that every time that you play a passionate about the country so they're in your face. And when you're trying to back and you're trying to get off strike or you know, you've got these guys, you've got these players just in your luck. And Aussies that are at you as well. Especially in great club cricket. But there, you know, you might get one or two guys in club cricket in Australia that will come out. Whereas these countries have 11. And they're just there. They're like pack of dogs and you're trying to zone in. And they're just yapping. You know, you can't, you can't, you can't, whatever they say. Just silly stuff and to make you think, you're like, right, OK. And this guy is just ballin' and he's not giving you anything. And you're like, you're going to make something happen. I tell you what, if you have interviewed one of the other teams that we've played against I'll probably say, that's him. He's got me playing himself there. Yeah. He's probably looking for it, you know, trying to do a cool shame war and trying to start something to spark something. But, um, no, I could, I could imagine, I mean, like I said, I've played at a local, local, local level down my way here south, southwest of Western Australia, like the third grades and stuff. And it gets so heated in some of these games. I played in a squad we base out, I think, had 10 or 11 Italian surnames in our squad. So probably, you know, probably more Italian surnames than what you guys might have in your squad. That's no joke. Yeah. But in some of the games gets so heated and I feel like I mean, it would just be a thousand times more amplify playing in an international match. It's crazy. I remember it. We'll play jersey in their country and our bowl was gone to journey and our skipper at the time Berge was like, come on and I come on over bowls. Every now and then I have a bowl just start to start and he goes, you're trying to go over six and over for me, just to try and pull it back a bit. And I remember the crowd. As soon as I took my hat off the crowd, there was probably three thousand people there. Max, maybe two and a half, whatever. I could just hear all in rhythm. Yeah. Top of my mark on that last year. We were singing that last year. Yeah, that was these boys. That's your mates. No, but that would be good band to be able to. I mean, that would be awesome playing in front of, you know, big numbers of people and, you know, some. Yeah, I just must be an absolute thrill. And I think it's pretty cool what you said you guys didn't even know much about it. Maybe seven or so years ago within, you know, within what lesson a year now you're going to be on a World Cup stage. It's pretty cool. Yeah, and everything that goes with it like I know, it's probably fairway off at the moment, but like I know in Australia, there's a few people that have good eyes in it now. And they're trying to start academies. You know, I think there's one already starting. Natalie, that the Menenti boys are running. Where it's an Italian Academy, we're trying to get, you know, Italian cricketers into the centres and start to create, you know, a bit of a pathway in the system through Australia. So forget more eyes on I'm cricketing Italy, which is awesome. And to see the back and say you might be a part of it or you played some sort of small part of that is awesome as well. Like we're trying to get one set up here in Sydney, trying to lose emotion for that. There's also everything that goes with it is like is amazing. You sort of just, you're not just playing the game. You're also working towards building something for a great cause for people that will do this year, be on me. So be on us. Yeah, I'd love to get my little boy onto that. He, we play cricket almost every day in the backyard. We use a bin for the wickets because it's just more sturdy than those like plastic things I like to look over and he'll play cricket by, you know, local cricket this year. But yeah, I'd love to get him into something like that. But we, speaking of the past ports, we, so I never went and got his passport done and now they've changed the law. But it's the way. No, he's not. He's not. One level down, but I still, I'm still confident. So like I've got it and I got it for my daughter and then I didn't get it for him and I had plenty of time, but I just didn't want to go anyway. But still I reckon maybe if he's a really, you know, like freak sports, we're at like 14 or something, I reckon you know, do something. Absolutely. Yeah. I think so. Yeah, probably made 14 15 maybe and I must have not had time as well because he goes to the lady, lady's banging the desk and he just goes, you may pay for his passport soon because he'll be paying for your country. All right. You know, you're going on a man. I'm going on a module up and I was happened there. Yeah. If that belongs next to me, you remember us. Yes. Give us a shout out. Yeah, I'm sure you get a bit of that, but I think like obviously you can get resident, yeah, well, your residents here and then sit in different ways as well. You can go and obviously move to the country and stay there. So I reckon if it's a fit for something that can probably make it happen. I reckon. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just wish this was around. It'll be totally if any country's going to bend the rules. Yeah. It's in their favor. Yeah. It'll be them. So. 100%. 100%. Yeah. Now, I think it's just like there's so many Italian Australian kids now that I think we'll really look up to you guys and the squad and be really watching it. And when I was young, it was probably Michael Divenito and probably I was in the field. Hughes came along later on with Italian roots and you know, a couple other guys later, but. Probably the only Italian surname was, yeah, big divas. I think so we just use the absolute love him and I remember he played a handful of one day games. Obviously one, you know, I think he could have played. He was in their position there when Australia was just such a force, you know, I mean, I'm trying to get a one day spot with Adam Gilchristin Mark War, the top and all that sort of thing. But he played a little bit and obviously just, you know, shattered records ever else he played and, you know, one level under. But he was a phenomenal talent. But besides that, yeah, you're sort of scratching your hair trying to find Italian surnames, but we always just forward him like me and all my mates just basically had an Italian surname. So if this was around and we were younger, I mean, it would just be the coolest thing ever because, you know, 100%. But this is so fusing was around here. It probably probably still be playing for the Aussies. Yeah, maybe 100% would be playing for Australia. If you're playing with us, if you're playing with us, if you didn't, but like someone like Spencer Johnson was on our first qualifiers. Four years ago, Spencer was set to come and play with us and we spoke about that. It's funny because when we did the episode, we were mentioning we, um, he hadn't played for Australia. Yeah, and I listened to him on another podcast and he said he was thinking about it. He was eligible and all this sort of stuff. So we spoke about on that episode. We did. I think that was the end of 2020. I think it was just before it was right around about the time and then it was almost like they obviously didn't, but almost like they heard it. Then I'll be a bit of a kid this like, you know, again, then he went and played for Australia. So I think that's probably maybe shut the door there, but who knows? It was up to two week window. We'll about to jump on a fly. We were in a message and we're thinking how could this be about to have one of these. Yeah, and then the next day was in Australia. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like to play it to me, but yeah, to play with someone with balls, 145, 100, you know, close to 150 kilometers an hour, you know, as a left arm or two. I just better say left arms. It was like a Mitchell Johnson for the situation of Spencer. Yeah, you just have the Italian name. You'd be like a Italian Mitchell Johnson, but Spencer's not the Italian name. You know, but um, almost at Italian Mitchell Johnson. You sit there and sledge everyone because you know, you know, he'll follow the ball. Yeah, we never got that far ahead unfortunately. Yeah, yeah, it's making a dip of Diminuta. He's so he's brother Peter is our manager at the moment. Yeah, I read that. Yeah, I knew that. Yeah. Yeah. Boys have a really good relationship. He played AJ played Danny Tasey with him. So, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's got some good stories as well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. In the early 2000s, they've got a really cool story about when they played and, um, I don't want to tell the story because I might do it in justice. But they sort of went on strike in an ICC tournament because there's something unjust that happened from the ICC and the Italians actually actually pulled out of a tournament on the eve of the tournament. And from that had become a whole set of new rules and regulations. I think that had been put in place to protect sort of these things happening again. So they were actually sort of the foundation or of what's come now with the social cricket and with the illiquid. Um, so the people like Peter Diminuto and Carl Cedri and there's a few other ones ending off. So, just a few times played big part in what's happened now and not many people know about it. Yeah, that's, you know, they'll run around. So you just show sometimes these things take such a long time to pop up. I mean, you guys are reaping some of the rewards now. Maybe going to plan the tournament. Like you said, maybe who knows in a few tournaments down the track might have been lifting the carpet. Just go back to the roots of all these things that happened. So I think it's really cool that you guys got a big part of that story and, um, yeah, I mean, yeah. I still a bit of a pinch yourself going to think like when you're in the moment, you just feel like you, you're there in your, your part of it. But I'm looking at your shirts now, which I absolutely love as well. It's part of the way they great shirts. So it's um, look, I'll tell you one thing about our key is it's over here. We always look the best but our body shapes. Like, they do as well. We're all around the Colby bellies and yes. Yeah. We're all that bad. Jack, it's everything always really fitted. Hi, like you said, the soccer player. it's like tired and fitted and yeah like in any sport in Italy they're always dressed the best yeah so when you're rocking up to the games you know the dress class you know for a dress class you've got not like our our tracks just just match you know but that's like any sport in Italy this is whatever happens you're gonna be the best dress that's right yeah and that's our that's the best thing so hopefully this time you know maybe we get joy tomorrow or something yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah no we can only we can only wish when the winds gone against it you just turn you back so the wind blows it's the shorty yeah yeah yeah so what is the plan like for you guys I can terms of like with the world cup but when we be leaving there's nothing to do yet but from what we're hearing in so this is the other part of the social create like everything sort of done in the run so we have a plan to have a little qualify a little trial a little trial series in November and the boy against I think might be Canada UAE a couple of other countries that might be in the world cup but I know there's another there's another set of Asian qualifiers coming up now for the world cup so once they're done in the obviously the pool will be announced and yeah then go from there but I know in November will be away for two or three weeks and then for a triceur is an engineering February will be pretty pretty full on with pre-tour stuff and then February's when the world cup starts or I can January will be in India for a while just get used to conditions and stuff and then hit the ground run either the arrow Sri Lanka so I think the world cups in India entry Lanka yeah so I was ready yet so not too far away really so like probably yeah two months and then things will start really happening so yeah so exciting everyone's everyone's doing their fitness stuff and training as the season runs into the ground now so which is what we need to do get ready so not given us we want to go there best prepared as possible to compete with all the big countries yeah yeah that's awesome guys we yeah we'll be definitely following I'm really excited to see how it goes and yeah I'm just really stoked that we had John the podcast tonight to have a chat and thanks so much for sharing all these stories I'm sure the listeners will really enjoy our eye for one definitely did yeah yeah we both really have so it's been great loved it thank you so much we enjoyed the chat and I really want to see what happens like throughout the tournament it doesn't matter what happens the fact that you guys have made it you've been a part of it and I mean I really hope I know I said before might be a few World Cup to someone lives the trophy for Italy but hey you never know you've got to be in a winner so but it doesn't matter it's a huge achievement to be then you guys have been a part of that so it should be very very proud and you representing like all of us our heritage and you know things that your grandparents left behind and all that you got the shirt it's right there in your heart got the logo there so yeah Tim had you guys it's a great job so I don't worry so still really I will be going there we'll be going there looking to take them all on when I'm there to make the numbers up give a hundred percent that's all you can do so thanks a lot thanks thank you very much thanks guys and thanks everyone for treating it we appreciate it. Ciao.