Australian Player To Join Shocking Newbie International Team, More Players In Line

Australian team in an ODI series vs SL in 2016. Credits - AFP

Associate nations taking the bull by the horns has been the talk of the town since the recently concluded T20 World Cup. In that ICC event, Italy made a name for themselves by coming close to England and eventually beating Nepal by 10 wickets. 

In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, the co-host USA impressed the world when they outsmarted Pakistan during the Group stages and eventually qualified for the Super 8s. They have entered the 2026 T20 World Cup as a solid team, having given a tough fight to eventual winners India before Suryakumar Yadav's heroics bailed them out. 

As associate teams are becoming increasingly competitive, legends from yesteryears or forgotten stars - with dual citizenship or two passports - have started migrating to emerging cricketing nations in search of better opportunities. 

Moises Henriques to migrate to Portugal?

In an interview with T Sports, Portugal international Siraj Ullah Khadem has hinted that a Big Bash player could soon represent Portugal. 

If sources are to be believed, Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques is set to migrate to Portugal at the age of 37. It is understood that Henriques will be the only international cricketer to relocate to Portugal in the near future. 

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Born in Funchal, Henriques is the son of former Portuguese professional footballer Álvaro. Moises and his family relocated to Australia when he was one year old, and he has played his whole cricket career in New South Wales. 

Although he is a regular in the Big Bash with the Sydney Sixers, Henriques last played for the national team in 2021. 

Moreover, he has had only limited opportunities in Australia due to fierce competition at the top level. 

Moises Henriques' journey for Australia & in BBL

After debuting in 2013, Moises Henriques has only played four Tests, 16 ODIs and 24 T20Is, with a top score of 81* against India in Chennai on his Test debut. Internationally, he has scored 636 runs and taken 17 wickets for Australia.

However, the all-rounder has been an undoubted legend for the Sydney Sixers, slamming 3324 runs in the league playing for the same BBL team from its inception. Henriques has been part of all the Sixers' championship seasons, leading them to two trophies in 2019/20 and 2020/21. 

But with the rise of Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner through the Australian circuit, Henriques kept crawling down the spiral. Interestingly, he was a vital cog in the Sunrisers Hyderabad's squad during the David Warner regime. 

Which high-profile names have played for Associate teams?

Over the years, various cricketers have played for associate nations even after being household names in cricketing circuits. Unmukt Chand migrated to the USA after leading India in the Under-19 World Cup. 

Then there are Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa to the Netherlands), Corey Anderson (New Zealand to the USA), David Weise (South Africa to Namibia), Wayne Madsen (South Africa to Italy), and various others. 

Quite recently, New Zealand legend Ross Taylor came out of his retirement to feature for Samoa at the 2026 Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup qualifier in Oman. Although they could not qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup. 

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