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It is hard to measurement what Italy’s history-making T20 World Cup qualification meant to everyone progressive — players, coaches, and supporters scattered crossed continents. For Anthony Joseph Mosca, though, its value settled successful 1 elemental truth: it made his parent happy. It brought pridefulness to her voice, a grin to her face, and tears to her eyes. In that moment, past felt human.
“At the qualifiers successful Holland, mum sent a video through. All the parents had to nonstop videos to the players astir however arrogant they were. And it brought a teardrop to my mum’s eye.
“Once dada passed away, beingness was pugnacious for her. I cognize she’s precise blessed now. She’s got a grin connected her look to spot the 2 boys playing present successful the World Cup,” said Anthony aft Italy’s 10-run triumph implicit Canada successful the warm-up lucifer present connected Monday.
Openers Anthony and his member Justin (left-hander) are from Australia, but their roots stay firmly Italian. “Our parents and grandparents were calved successful Italy,” helium said. “For galore of america successful this team, our families are from Italy. We person a batch of Italian practice (in the team). So, Italian was the archetypal connection successful immoderate of our households.”
Anthony Joseph Mosca of Italy plays a changeable during the ICC T20 World Cup war-up lucifer against Canada astatine the MAC Stadium successful Chennai connected Monday, January 2, 2026. | Photo Credit: R. RAGU
Cricket, however, came done Australia, wherever Anthony grew up playing people cricket successful Sydney, admiring and wanting to emulate Ricky Ponting’s propulsion changeable and Damien Martyn’s screen drive.
He didn’t afloat grasp the standard of Italian cricket until conscionable earlier COVID. “The federation contacted Ben Manenti. And Benny passed connected my sanction and my brother’s,” helium recalled. Though the pandemic paused his travel, the committedness remained. “They told america the steps it would instrumentality to get to this level and we were prepared to instrumentality that on.”
That travel has been eased by familiarity. Alongside his member are the Manenti brothers, Ben and Harry — friends first, teammates later. “We played cricket unneurotic backmost successful Australia. We played astatine the aforesaid people nine successful Sydney. For the past 15 years, we’ve been adjacent mates — brothers, not by blood.”
Italy’s World Cup debut carries a uncommon symmetry: 2 sets of brothers, bound by humor and friendship, turning familiarity into strength, and past into thing shared.
