CRICKET: Italy drop Australian-born skipper who helped seal maiden T20 World Cup berth

Joe Burns, the former Australian cricketer who masterminded Italy's fairytale qualification to their maiden T20 World Cup, will miss the tournament after being dropped by the Italian Cricket Federation (FCRI) amid contractual wrangles.

Burns captained the side that booked a maiden T20 World Cup berth in July through European qualifiers, setting up the nation's tournament debut in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

However, the FCRI said Burns will not be a part of the World Cup squad, with South African-born Wayne Madsen to lead the side instead.

"Although preliminary contacts regarding his (Burns) availability have been made in recent weeks, no final agreement has been reached and, as a result, no contract has been formalised," the FCRI said in a statement on Tuesday.

"At the same time, internal technical and organisational assessments have led to Wayne Madsen being identified as the most suitable choice to lead the team."

The federation did not elaborate on what issues concerning team stability had influenced their decision but said Madsen will lead Italy in the upcoming tour against Ireland before they head to the World Cup.