Joseph Anthony Burns (born 6 September 1989) is an Australian-Italian cricketer who has represented the Australia national cricket team at international level and later took up the captaincy of the Italy national cricket team. In Australian domestic cricket, he played for Queensland, and in the Big Bash League he turned out for the Melbourne Stars.
| Full name | Joseph Anthony Burns |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 September 1989 |
| Nationality | Australian-Italian |
| National sides | Australia; later Italy |
| Domestic team | Queensland |
| Twenty20 franchise | Melbourne Stars (Big Bash League) |
Burns built his early career in Australian cricket, featuring for Queensland in domestic competition and for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League before earning selection for the Australia national side.
In May 2024, Burns announced his decision to shift his international allegiance to Italy. He framed the move as a tribute to his late brother, Dominic, who had died in February 2024, and indicated that one of his goals was to play for Italy at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
Under his leadership, Italy qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time in the country's history, marking a significant milestone for Italian cricket. However, in the lead-up to the tournament, Burns was dropped from the squad. He was replaced as captain by Wayne Madsen.
Burns's career bridges top-tier Australian cricket and the development of associate-level cricket in Europe. His captaincy played a central role in Italy reaching the global T20 stage for the first time, an achievement that signalled the rising competitiveness of Italian cricket within the ICC framework.