Former Australia opener Joe Burns has been named as captain of Italy's cricket team, having shifted his allegiance to the European nation after representing the cricketing heavyweights in 23 Tests.

Burns, 35, remained not out on a 63-ball 51 in the second innings of the Australian innings during the Adelaide Test of 2020, when India were all out for 36 in their second essay.

The batter had shifted his allegiances to Italy in May this year. The Brisbane-born Burns became eligible to play for Italy through his mother's heritage and made his debut for them in June.

"I am honoured to take on this role and represent Italy on the international stage," Burns said in a statement on Thursday.

"For me, it is a return to my family's roots. Italian cricket has enormous potential and I am excited to contribute to its growth. Together with my team-mates, we are working to achieve ambitious goals and make our fans proud," the player added.

Between December 2014 and January 2021, Burns aggregated 1,442 runs in 40 Test innings for Australia, including four centuries, with an average of 36.97.

After moving to Italy, Burns has appeared in five T20 Internationals where he has scored 211 runs at an excellent average of 70.33 and a strike rate of 144.52.

In his most recent match, he blazed away to an unbeaten 108 off 55 balls, leading Italy to victory over Romania in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier Group A.

Fabio Marabini, president of the Italian Cricket Federation, backed Burns to succeed in the leadership role.

"Since day one, Joe has shown great generosity and professionalism, putting his experience and competitive spirit at the disposal of the team," Marabini said.

"His choice as captain reflects our ambition to take Italian cricket to new levels. We are also counting on his leadership to play a leading role in the next qualifying stages for the 2026 T20 World Cup," he added.

Burns is a regular in franchise-based T20 cricket, with Dubai Capitals signing him up for the upcoming season of the UAE's ILT20.

Burns has also featured in the Vitality Blast apart from the Big Bash League, and has played domestic cricket in Australia for Queensland, having burst onto the scene with 140 on Sheffield Shield debut against South Australia in the 2010-11 season.