Henriques will play for Portugal (Source: @mufaddal_vohra)In the last few years, several top players from the big cricketing nations have switched alliances as they decided to represent a different national team. It has become a trend, as many players don’t get opportunities in their homeland, and in order to play more cricket, they switch nations.In the latest development, a top Australian player, who has represented the country has decided to try out his luck somewhere else with an ambitious move to a European nation.Moises Henriques leaves Australia, joins Portugal cricket teamIn a shocking turn of events, the 39-year-old Australian all-rounder, Moises Henriques, has decided to switch allegiance from Australia to Portugal, and now, the player will represent his birth nation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup qualifiers.The Australian domestic legend has decided to restart his international career in Portugal, where he was born before his family moved to Australia.Henriques last played for Australia in 2021, and since then, he has not had the opportunity to play for them. With limited chances available, the all-rounder took the drastic step of leaving Australia to join the Portugal Cricket team. His mission is to help the Portugal side qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2028.Henriques' journey with Australia at a glanceIn total, Henriques has represented Australia in 44 matches across formats, and for the last five years, he has been out of the squad. A right-arm batter and a right-arm medium pace bowler, the 39-year-old has played 4 Tests, 16 ODIs, and 24 T20I games.In red-ball cricket, the all-rounder has accumulated 164 runs, with an average of 23. In ODI cricket, the Portugal-born player has registered 117 runs in 16 matches, and in the T20Is, he has slammed 355 runs, with a strike rate of 124.56.He managed to pick up 2, 8, and 7 wickets, respectively in Tests, ODIs, and T20I cricket, as Henriques’ international career never flourished, and he was dropped from the squad.Henriques, a serial match-winner in Australian circuitHenriques has been a serial match-winner in Australian domestic and franchise cricket, and has won 11 titles, including one in the IPL as well.He started off by winning the inaugural BBL title with the Sydney Sixers, and also helped them win back-to-back titles in 2019-20, 2020-21. Moreover, he also won the IPL 2016 with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and if that was not enough, the all-rounder has also captured five domestic trophies with New South Wales.Also Read: Australia Players Who May Not Survive Until World Cup 2027 After Bangladesh HumiliationThis is one of the main reasons why Portugal also welcomed him with open arms. Henriques knows how to win trophies, and he can transfer the same mentality amongst his new teammates.Why Henriques joined the Portugal side?After switching teams from Australia to Portugal, the former Australian star revealed why he took the decision to represent Portugal.Speaking to CODE Sports: “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,” he added.When will Henriques play his first game for Portugal?Portugal will start their road to T20 World Cup 2028 journey by playing in the European Sub-Regional Qualifier in Finland, which is the first stage of the qualification process for the 2028 World Cup edition.Portugal are placed in Qualifier C of the tournament, and the qualifier takes place from August 14 to August 21, with Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Isle of Man, Israel, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain the teams participating.Also Read: Brendon McCullum Reveals Future Plans With England After Ben Stokes' Exit
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