Jade Dernbach set to play for Italy

The former England quick, who qualifies through his mother, will feature in the T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier next month

Jade Dernbach, the 35-year-old seamer who won 58 limited-overs caps for England between 2011 and 2014, has been named in Italy’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier next month.

Dernbach’s opportunities in county cricket have been limited in recent years and he will leave Surrey at the end of this season, but he will resume his international career after being persuaded to declare for Italy – he qualifies through his mother – by Gareth Berg, the Northamptonshire allrounder who will captain and coach the side.

Grant Stewart, the Australian-born allrounder who played for Kent in their T20 Blast triumph on Saturday, is another fresh inclusion in the squad, while there is also a call-up for the Leinster Lightning batter Jamie Grassi.

Owais Shah, the former England international and a team-mate of Berg’s at Middesex and Hampshire, will act as his assistant coach.

Italy reached October’s qualifier – which forms part of the pathway for the 2022 T20 World Cup – by virtue of their T20I ranking, after the sub-qualifier events were cancelled by the ICC due to Covid-19. They will face Jersey, Germany and Denmark from October 15-21 in Spain, with the top two teams progressing to the global qualifiers in early 2022.

Italy squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier: Gareth Berg (captain/head coach), Jade Dernbach, Madupa Fernando, Jamie Grassi, Grant Stewart, Darren Low, Dinidu Marage, Gian-Piero Meade, Joy Perera, Amir Sharif, Baljith Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nikolai Smith.