T20 World Cup 2028: Former Australia and SRH all-rounder set to switch allegiance and represent Portugal in qualifiers
T20 World Cup 2028: Former Australia and SRH all-rounder set to switch allegiance and represent Portugal in qualifiers originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Moises Henriques switches allegiance from Australia to play for Portugal in T20 World Cup qualifiers.
- Former Australia all-rounder follows Joe Burns’ path.
- Henriques hopes the move helps grow cricket’s reach in emerging nations.
Moises Henriques set for international comeback with Portugal
Former Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques has decided to switch allegiance to represent Portugal, the country of his birth, in next month’s T20 World Cup qualifiers, according to CODE Sports.
After stepping away from Australian colours back in 2021, the 39-year-old has decided to reignite his international journey by turning out for the nation he originally hails from.
Henriques featured in 44 international matches for Australia during his career but hasn’t worn the national colours in several years. He will now head to Finland to compete in the European sub-regional qualifier, marking the first phase of Portugal’s campaign to reach the 2028 T20 World Cup, a tournament jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Former Australian Test all-rounder Moises Henriques has made a major eligibility switch to play in the World Cup qualifiers – for Portugal.
FULL STORY: https://t.co/LEoODEkJYzpic.twitter.com/6ya44j6ruZ
— CODE Cricket (@codecricketau) June 30, 2026
How did Moises Henriques’ switch from Australia to Portugal become possible?
Henriques was born in Portugal before relocating to Australia as an infant. He is now eligible to represent his birth nation, having completed the ICC’s mandatory three-year waiting period applicable to players moving on from a Full Member country.
His decision mirrors a similar move made recently by former Australia opener Joe Burns, who switched to representing Italy through his own family lineage. Should Portugal successfully qualify, Henriques would get the chance to feature for them at the 2028 T20 World Cup.
The tournament now accommodates 20 teams, which opens up considerably more opportunities for Associate nations to break through. The switch could also work in his favour within franchise cricket, since he would now be classified as an Associate player rather than taking up a Full Member overseas slot.
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What did Moises Henriques say about his decision to join Portugal?
Speaking with CODE Sports, Henriques expressed his desire to contribute to cricket’s growth in developing cricketing nations. He explained that the broader opportunity for the sport’s global expansion mattered just as much to him as his own Portuguese roots.
“I guess the opportunity for growth in the game around the world, it’s probably not just my Portuguese heritage, but the game, more importantly, and the opportunity for growth worldwide,” Henriques said.
“We can improve the quality of all the engagement in, say, another 10 or 20 nations around the world, and then you’re looking at cricket World Cups that stop the entire world, as opposed to a couple of Western countries and the subcontinent.”
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Henriques also shared that his relatives in Portugal were thrilled by his decision, noting that his brothers, both of whom were born in Australia after the family’s relocation, were fully supportive of the move as well.
“My family back in Portugal would be all really proud to see me doing it as well. Both my brothers think it’s cool, they were both born here in Australia after we moved here, where I was actually born in Portugal,” he said.
“My family who are still in Portugal, they seem more proud than anyone, so yeah, even though I haven’t really been a huge part of their lives, but I think they see it as ‘oh wow, we’ve got someone in the family that’s representing our country, as opposed to another country.”
If more established names follow this path, it could genuinely narrow the gap between Full Members and Associates, something the sport has needed for a long time.
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