00:00Firstly, what is the overriding emotion that you have and also what do you think this is going to do
00:06for Italy?
00:08The overriding emotion, there was definitely a few tears in the boys eyes.
00:13So it definitely meant a lot to a lot of guys out there.
00:17Particularly the two Moscow boys, obviously being brothers and hitting 100, chasing none down.
00:23Which was a phenomenal effort. It was a phenomenal effort in the field too.
00:28It was pretty interesting that game one, nothing went our way.
00:32And then today, sort of everything went our way.
00:34But I think it was a reflection on how brave we were this game.
00:38As opposed to our first hit out in the World Cup, which was probably a little bit tentative.
00:43What does it mean to the Italian cricket?
00:45I think it just puts us on...
00:48This will be front page news in a lot of countries and a lot of publications in Italy, I'd imagine.
00:55I'm hoping.
00:58And for us to get that sort of exposure and maybe knock off the Winter Olympics off the back page
01:05of the sport would be unbelievable for cricket in the country.
01:10And just bring some attention to us.
01:12You know, we also love the day we'll be doing that story.
01:16Prior to this game, not many had given Italy a chance.
01:19Because of course, Nepal had done an incredibly well against England.
01:22And also they had come here with thousands of fans.
01:25So in terms of fans also you were outnumbered.
01:27Do you think that people not given Italy a chance being outnumbered in terms of fans as well?
01:33Did that sort of galvanise the Italian team as well?
01:36Well, it was mentioned that, you know, there would be a lot of noise there.
01:41But how good for the boys to play in front of that many people and in front of that noise.
01:46You know, we've got a lot of experienced players in our team who have played in front of crowds before.
01:51So having that experience definitely helped the guys who probably haven't experienced it.
01:59In terms of galvanising the team.
02:01Look, I think, you know, we've won five of our last six games, including practice matches and whatnot.
02:07So we spoke about having belief in playing winning cricket and whatnot.
02:13So, you know, I'm really proud of the way the boys went about it.
02:18Captain, everything went your way from the toss to the fielding and later in the batting.
02:23But how important was your first over trying to get the opponents under pressure, especially the way he played against
02:32England?
02:32How important was your first over?
02:34Yeah, we gave the ball to Ben, my brother, obviously.
02:38And we ummed and ahmed a little bit around who we bowled that first ball because it is an important
02:43over to set the tone.
02:45When you win the toss and you bowl first, you want to try and start the game in an attacking
02:50way.
02:50And we thought the way the wicket looked, there might be a little bit of spin and hold.
02:54So we tried to bowl as much spin in that power play up front as we could.
02:59And then that sort of set the tone.
03:01We started well.
03:02Hasan Ali, who bowled really well the other day, bowled a nice first over as well.
03:07And then the boys sort of rolled on from there.
03:09It was one of those innings, as John said, everything sort of went our way in a way.
03:17We didn't probably nail it the other night against Scotland.
03:21But today we showed what we've got in terms of intentions and our bravery and that sort of rewarded us
03:28in the end.
03:29We usually don't see Nepal being out great in the field, in the fielding side of things.
03:32But today's your catching and your ground fielding was excellent.
03:35How important was that to put Nepal under pressure, especially in the later overs?
03:39Yeah, we we've done a lot of work in our fielding.
03:42Um, it's the point of our game that we've probably tried to regrow that in terms of eyes on the
03:46game and eyes on Italy cricket.
03:48Um, but we're still a long way away from, uh, facilities, coaching within Italy, um, opportunities for guys to play
03:57cricket.
03:57And hopefully that comes from this tournament.
04:00Can I ask a question?
04:01My question was...
04:02Can I ask a question to the Italian journalists?
04:06Will we get on the back page of the papers?
04:09Yeah.
04:10The background...
04:10We will?
04:11Guaranteed?
04:12A couple.
04:13A couple of them?
04:15Bravo, bravo.
04:17Grazie.
04:18So, bravissimi.
04:19Grazie.
04:19Um, this day will remain in the history of cricket in Italy and of sport in Italy.
04:25There was actually people crying in Italian box at the end of the game.
04:29So, to Harry, how do you personally live it?
04:33I mean, you come from an Italian family.
04:36Uh, how does your family feel it?
04:39How do you feel it?
04:41Very personally, I mean.
04:42Yeah, I come from a strong Italian family.
04:45Um, so do all the boys.
04:47Um, I, I opened up my phone once I got in the change rooms.
04:52I had, uh, messages from my nonna and from, um, my father who's Italian heritage.
04:58Um, yeah, it's really special.
05:01To be able to represent your family, uh, your family's heritage, um, and yourself in a World
05:07Cup, um, is something that very few people in the game get to do.
05:12Uh, there's 20 teams here.
05:14Uh, each team has 15 players, uh, and there's a lot more players in the world that play cricket
05:19and don't have the privilege that we have today to be able to show what we've got, um, to represent
05:25my family.
05:26Uh, my brother is, uh, in the team with me, um, to be able to play with him in the
05:31World
05:31Cup for Italy is something that you can't replace.
05:35So the mosques are the same.
05:37If you, if you could see AJ, there'll be some footage that comes out.
05:41Uh, he was crying, um, which makes me even saying it now, it makes you feel a bit emotional
05:48to see what it means to each player in that group.
05:51Uh, I don't think you'll see many, uh, players cry on the field after a win, um, in the group
05:58stages.
05:58So I think you've got to appreciate what, what Italy cricket is bringing to the game.
06:04Um, understand that the passion is slightly different, uh, with the Italians and, and
06:12we will bring that everywhere we go.
06:13Uh, no matter the level of the tournament or the level of the opposition, um, to be able
06:18to bring a group of players together who have connections with Italy, um, is, is special
06:25on something that, uh, won't ever be beaten in my eyes.
06:29Uh, you answer half of the question already, but, uh, there's a lot of talk about the composition
06:35of Italian team, where the players come from and the daily struggles they have to face,
06:40like managing day jobs as well.
06:43Do you think that will change?
06:44And, uh, especially for Krish because he has to manage jobs and, uh, play cricket as well.
06:50And, uh, in two years time, there's Olympic, do you see the Italian team playing there?
06:55Yeah, I think, um, well, if you look at the squad, there's 12 out of the 15 players who
07:02have to work outside of cricket.
07:04Um, Krish is a good example.
07:06He just got a man of the match in a world cup game, uh, winning game.
07:10And he makes pizzas for a living back home to try and earn enough money to train.
07:17Yeah.
07:17He spins the pizzas.
07:19So that's why he can spin both ways.
07:20But yeah, I mean, hopefully in a few years time, if not sooner, the game grows big enough
07:26in Italy that we can play.
07:28And that's on us as a playing group currently to create those opportunities by winning games
07:31and showing the world what we can do.
07:33Um, and then it's on other people and the Federation and the ICC and, um, other teams
07:39to be willing to play us.
07:40Uh, at the moment we're ranked 27th in the world.
07:43Hopefully that's changed today.
07:44But we're ranked 27th in the world in a competition of 20 teams.
07:49So if you do the maths, we're outsiders every time we play.
07:53Um, no matter who we play against, whether it's Nepal or Scotland or England or West Indies.
07:58Um, we'll always be the outsiders, which we thrive on and we love.
08:03Um, but we're not willing to, we're not wanting to stay there at 27th.
08:08We're wanting to climb up.
08:09Um, and by doing that, we need to play games.
08:11We want other teams to host us and, and we build facilities that host them back.
08:16And that's our goal as a, as a team.
08:19Um, that'll provide opportunities for kids who are currently in Italy, uh, learning the
08:24game in a school level to see us playing in Rome or Milan or Bologna, wherever it might
08:29be, um, to see what the pathway is and to see Harry Menenti or Anthony Mosca or Krishan,
08:36whoever it might be, to be playing a world cup.
08:39And if that's a goal for them, then we've created a pathway for them to follow.
08:45Yeah.
08:46Um, you brothers, um, and also the Moscow brothers.
08:50Is there a, can, is it right in saying there is an Australian connection to the Italian, uh,
08:54set up with the support staff and also some, some of the players originating from Australia
08:59and how satisfying is it to beat Nepal, which has a couple of Australians in their supporting,
09:05in their coaching staff?
09:06Yeah.
09:07Obviously the two sets of brothers, um, are both from Australia.
09:12Uh, our grandparents, uh, migrated to Australia in the fifties and sixties.
09:18So, you know, we, we've got strong connections with Italy in Australia.
09:22There's about a million people in Australia with, uh, Italian heritage.
09:27Uh, there's Thomas Drucker as well is from Australia and Grant Stewart, who now plays cricket
09:31in England.
09:32And, and the same thing with South Africa, there's a connection there.
09:35Uh, people in Italy moved to South Africa and Australia.
09:39Um, I think it brings us, brings us together.
09:43The, the fact that we've got two sets of brothers brings the group together.
09:46I think John will be the first one to say that those four are probably, uh, the loudest
09:51and probably the most trouble from a staff point of view.
09:53But I think, I hope that we also bring the group together.
09:57Um, we are willing to, to bring a group of people who do that.
10:02We do come from across the world, uh, to bring them in and welcome them.
10:06And, um, as a good example, John, John Smuts has just come into our group.
10:10And, uh, he will say the first thing that he feels at home in our group, uh, feels like
10:15an Italian straight away and, and a part of Italian cricket.
10:18Um, and we do that with anyone, whether it's the staff member or a player or a person
10:23who is helping us here in India with the world cup.
10:25Um, they enjoy spending time with us.
10:27And, uh, I think that's a pretty special, um, thing to be able to bring a group of people
10:32from all over the world and, um, have a real connection.
10:35Last question.
10:36Yeah.
10:37Um, Harry, you've kind of answered it a little bit, but just again, um, like you've just
10:41mentioned that lots of players from various backgrounds with various experiences all over
10:45the world coming together in a, a Mino nation and cricket, uh, a win like this, what does
10:51it do to, you know, the morale, one thing, but also just helping each other gel together
10:56further, knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses inside out.
11:00Uh, especially like you said, JJ just, I think he played his debut in January last month.
11:05So just how do you guys gel together, especially after a win like this?
11:10Yeah, it's not easy.
11:11I think it's, um, it's a job for the playing group to buy in and the coaches to support.
11:18Uh, we've, we've managed to play a little bit of cricket in the last few weeks and win
11:22a lot of those games.
11:24Um, as Davo said, we've won five out of six games now in the last month and all teams who
11:30rank between 12th and 17th.
11:33So we're, we're moving step by step and we're heading in the right direction.
11:37To, to bring a group together is, is not easy and it takes a really strong staff with,
11:42um, strong beliefs in the playing group.
11:45Um, we're really lucky that we have that and a federation to support that.
11:48Uh, and the same thing goes with the playing group.
11:51Everyone's willing to buy into the culture and the team.
11:53Um, we could move, we could be, all 15 of us could be in Italy.
11:58Uh, we could be in India.
11:59We could be in anywhere in the world and we'd know where we come from.
12:03Uh, we have strong connections to Italy.
12:04We'll continue to, uh, drive that through the competition.
12:08A win against Nepal doesn't change anything that we believe.
12:11We came into this game knowing that we can win and we did that.
12:14It's great for our confidence, but it doesn't change where we're at.
12:17Um, playing every game we, we get is obviously an opportunity to show the world what we've
12:22got, but also spend time with each other.
12:24And every time I get to play with those 10 boys, those 14 boys around me is an opportunity.
12:29I don't take lightly and I look forward to playing the next one in a few days time against England.
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