Who is Wayne Madsen? South African veteran who will captain Italy at their first T20 World Cup
Ex-South Africa hockey player and Derbyshire veteran Wayne Madsen will lead Italy at their maiden T20 World Cup after scoring 431 runs in the T20 Blast.
Italy's cricket history is going to have a remarkable turning point in 2026 when they will in no way miss the ICC Men's T20 World Cup for the first time and among the team of that expedition will be Wayne Madsen, an experienced athlete of multiple sports, whose professional life has taken him to several countries and into the very core of European cricket.
Wayne was not only born in South Africa but he is also a right-handed batsman and an occasional right-arm off-spinner that has now become the leg of Italy after qualifying through his genealogy. He has got to his notable height of 5 ft 9 in, he fills up the Azzurri setup with lots of experience, professionalism, and leadership. Madsen, with Italian nationality through descent, made his debut for Italy in 2023 and now is going to lead the team at T20 World Cup their first-ever T20 World Cup.
A Multi-Sport Veteran in Top Form Takes Charge of Italy’s T20 World Cup Campaign
Madsen was a professional field hockey player before and amongst cricketers, he was South Africa's representative at the Hockey World Cup in 2006. His move to the United Kingdom in 2008 not only boosted his cricket career but also changed his life completely as he joined Derbyshire and soon was recognized as one of the most dependable and respected top-order batters in the English county circuit. He later captained Derbyshire and led them to Championship promotion while also receiving several domestic awards.
Madsen is going to the T20 World Cup 2026 with great form: he made 431 runs in the latest T20 Blast at a strike rate of 138, and 198 in his last first-class innings. He will take over the captaincy from Joe Burns and he will be Italy's most experienced and influential personality on the world stage.
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Teams Wayne Madsen Has Played For
- Derbyshire
- Italy
- Peshawar Zalmi
- Multan Sultans
- Team Abu Dhabi
- London Spirit
- Manchester Originals
- Joburg Super Kings
- Rangpur Riders
- KwaZulu-Natal
Wayne Madsen – Career Stats (All Formats)
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I | 4 | 4 | 95 | 23.75 | 141.79 | 0 | 1 | 52 |
| T20 (Overall) | 216 | 208 | 5,406 | 31.06 | 135.38 | 2 | 34 | 109* |
| First-Class | 253 | 443 | 17,067 | 41.52 | 53.68 (BF) | 43 | 93 | 231* |
| List A | 117 | 109 | 3,819 | 42.43 | 92.35 | 8 | 21 | 138 |
Madsen's leadership, adaptability and consistency will be the key factors for Italy in their first T20 World Cup. His extensive experience through different formats, leagues and conditions turns him into the perfect person to lead a fast-developing Italian team at their biggest stage so far.
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