Henriques Takes Helm of Portugal's T20 World Cup Qualifying Campaign

Former Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques will captain Portugal as they attempt to qualify for the T20 World Cup for the first time. The Portuguese Cricket Federation announced the 14-member squad on Tuesday, with Henriques named captain for the T20 World Cup Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier C in Finland.

From Australia to Portugal

Henriques brings significant international experience to the Portuguese side, having played 24 T20Is, 16 ODIs and four Tests for Australia. Born in Madeira—the hometown of Portugal football captain Cristiano Ronaldo—Henriques moved to Australia as a child. His last international appearance for Australia came in August 2021 in a T20I against Bangladesh.

He became eligible to represent Portugal in June after completing the required three-year cooling-off period for players switching from an ICC Full Member to an Associate nation. Henriques recently announced his retirement from Australian domestic cricket but will continue playing overseas, including a contract with Glasgow Cosmic for the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League.

Portugal's Path to the Global Qualifier

Portugal are ranked 37th in the ICC men's T20I rankings and will face a challenging group in Finland. They will compete against Israel, Germany, Greece and Czechia in Group B from August 14 to 20. The group winner will face the winner of Group A in the final on August 21.

The winner of the qualifier will advance to the European regional final, where Scotland, Jersey and Denmark will join them. The top two teams from the regional final will then qualify for the global qualifier as they bid to reach the 2028 T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Strong Squad Selection

Portugal's squad features several players with international experience. Craig Cachopa, a former Sussex, Auckland and Wellington wicketkeeper-batter, brings county cricket experience. Cameron Shekleton has represented South Africa A, while Sebastian de Oliveira played one List A match for Gauteng. Bangladesh-born spinner Siraj Ullah Khadem, who was included in the longlist for this year's Hundred auction, adds depth to the bowling attack.

Henriques takes over the captaincy from Carlos Nunes, who captains Twickenham in the Middlesex County Cricket League in England. Nunes remains part of the 14-member squad.

Portugal's Squad and Fixtures

Squad: Moises Henriques (capt), Craig Cachopa, Edward Fleming, Christopher de Freitas, Rahulkumar Hashu, Siraj Ullah Khadem, Hardeep Khuttan, Jeremy Martins, Dhavalkumar Norotam (wk), Jordan Netto, Carlos Nunes, Sebastian de Oliveira, Upen Shantu, Cameron Shekleton.

Fixtures:

• vs Israel (August 14)
• vs Germany (August 15)
• vs Greece (August 17)
• vs Czechia (August 20)
• Final (August 21)