HELSINKI — Five years after making his final international appearance for Australia, veteran all-rounder Moises Henriques is returning to the global stage in a landmark move for European cricket. The 39-year-old has been appointed captain of the Portugal national team for their upcoming ICC T20 World Cup qualification campaign.

Henriques will lead a 14-player Portuguese squad at the T20 World Cup Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier C in Finland, scheduled from August 14 to 21.

Return to His Roots

Although Henriques established a distinguished professional career in Australia—representing New South Wales, the Sydney Sixers, and playing 4 Tests, 16 ODIs, and 24 T20Is for Australia—his connection to Portugal is deeply personal.

Born on the Portuguese island of Madeira—the famous birthplace of football icon Cristiano Ronaldo—Henriques moved to Australia as a young child. Having stepped down from Australian domestic cricket last month, the veteran campaigner remains active on the franchise circuit and is set to feature for Glasgow Cosmic in the inaugural European T20 Premier League.

Portugal’s Road to the 2028 T20 World Cup

Currently ranked 37th in the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings, Portugal face a challenging path toward qualification for the 2028 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Portugal have been drawn into Group B alongside Israel, Germany, Greece, and Czechia:

  • August 14: vs. Israel

  • August 15: vs. Germany

  • August 17: vs. Greece

  • August 20: vs. Czechia

The top team from Group B will meet the winner of Group A in the tournament final on August 21. The overall tournament winner will advance to the European Regional Final, joining established associate nations Scotland, Jersey, and Denmark in the fight for two coveted spots in the global T20 World Cup main event.

Extensive High-Level Experience

Henriques takes over the captaincy from former skipper Carlos Nunes, who remains in the squad as a key contributor.

The Portuguese roster features several other players with professional and top-tier domestic backgrounds:

  • Craig Cachopa: Former Auckland, Wellington, and Sussex wicketkeeper-batter.

  • Cameron Shekleton: Former South Africa A representative.

With Henriques bringing over two decades of top-tier professional experience, Portugal hope to mount a serious challenge in Finland and earn a historic berth in the next stage of World Cup qualifying.

Portugal 14-Player Squad

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