Henriques to play for Portugal in T20 World Cup qualifiers

Former Australian international cricketer Moises Henriques has committed to representing his birth country, Portugal, in a bid to help the emerging cricket nation qualify for the 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The 39-year-old all-rounder will make his debut for Portugal in a European subregional qualifier tournament scheduled to begin on August 14, 2026, in Finland.

Henriques, who was born in Funchal on Portugal's Madeira island before moving to Australia as an infant, played 44 times for Australia across all formats between 2009 and 2021. His last appearance was a T20 International against Bangladesh in August 2021. Under ICC regulations, he is now eligible to switch allegiance after completing the mandatory three-year standdown period for players moving from a Full Member nation to an Associate Member.

Portugal has been drawn in Group B of the subregional qualifier alongside the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, and Israel. The winner of the tournament will advance to a regional final, competing for one of Europe's two qualifying spots for the 2028 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The expanded 20-team format for the global tournament has increased...