Eye Full-Time Future After Historic Win, Says Harry Manenti

Stand-in captain Harry Manenti hopes Italy’s landmark victory over Nepal national cricket team can mark the beginning of a new era for cricket in the country — one where players no longer have to balance day jobs with international ambitions.

Italy, ranked 26th in T20 Internationals before the match, stunned 16th-ranked Nepal with a commanding ten-wicket win, underlining their rapid progress on the global stage. Yet, as Manenti revealed, the triumph was built on the efforts of a largely semi-professional squad.

“If you look at the squad, 12 out of the 15 players have to work outside of cricket,” Manenti said after the win. “Crishan Kalugamage is a great example. He just got Man of the Match in a World Cup game and he makes pizzas for a living back home to try and earn enough money to train.”

Balancing Work and World Cups

Kalugamage’s performance symbolised the grit within the Italian camp — a group striving to compete with higher-ranked nations despite limited resources and infrastructure.

Manenti expressed hope that such results could accelerate cricket’s growth in Italy and eventually allow players to turn professional.

“Hopefully, in a few years’ time, if not sooner, the game grows big enough in Italy that we can play full-time,” he said. “That’s on us as a playing group to create those opportunities by winning games and showing the world what we can do. Then it’s on the federation, the ICC and other teams to be willing to play us.”

Despite competing in a 20-team tournament while ranked outside the top 25, Manenti insisted Italy relish their underdog status.

“We’ll always be the outsiders, whether it’s Nepal or Scotland or England or West Indies. That’s something we thrive on.”

Building a Pathway at Home

Manenti hopes Italy’s spirited performances will encourage established cricketing nations to schedule bilateral series against them — a crucial step toward climbing the rankings and developing the sport domestically.

“We want other teams to host us and we want to build facilities to host them back,” he said. “That will provide opportunities for kids in Italy learning the game at school to see us playing in Rome or Milan or Bologna and understand the pathway.”

Exposure on the global stage, he believes, could transform perceptions of cricket in a country where the sport is still developing and infrastructure remains basic. Training sessions in Italy often take place on astroturf pitches, highlighting the gap between ambition and resources.

“World exposure will hopefully bring more eyes onto Italy cricket,” Manenti said. “But we’re still a long way away from facilities, coaching and opportunities. Hopefully that comes from this tournament.”

Learning from the Best

Italy also drew tactical inspiration from Nepal’s bold approach against England earlier in the tournament. Manenti stressed the importance of taking the game to stronger teams rather than playing cautiously.

“If we’re timid against the big boys, we’re no chance,” he said. “You saw how Nepal took the game to England — when you put the favourites under pressure, they don’t always play as well.”

For a squad experiencing a World Cup environment for the first time, the lessons learned — both on and off the field — could prove invaluable.

“For the 15 players, we had never seen a World Cup fixture before,” Manenti said. “To gain that knowledge and take it back to Italy is crucial. Hopefully this is just the beginning of growing the game there.”

With belief building and momentum on their side, Italy’s cricketers are determined that their breakthrough win will be remembered not as a one-off upset, but as a catalyst for long-term progress.