CHENNAI: When Benjamin Manenti called Justin and Anthony Mosca about an opportunity to play for Italy a little before the Covid pandemic broke out, they did not know what to make of it. Having grown up in the Italian-Australian community alongside the Manenti brothers (Benjamin and Harry) in the Sydney suburbs, the Mosca brothers had very different goals in life.
Anthony still had his eyes set on breaking into the New South Wales set-up and playing for Australia. Meanwhile, Justin — taking his girlfriend's suggestion, who would go on to become his wife — had enrolled in a teaching course. For Anthony, cricket was still a primary motivator to get up and train every day, whereas Justin thrived just on the competitive side of sport, while ensuring it is not the be-all and end-all in life.
At that time, little did either of them know that one day they would be all set to open the batting together for Italy at a historic venue such as Eden Gardens in a T20 World Cup. It was not even in their wildest dreams. Not till much later.
Having grown up with the Manenti brothers from a very young age, the Moscas (their grandparents) were part of the mass migration that happened from Italy to Australia during and after the World War in the 20th century. They realised it could be a pathway to explore, but that was delayed till 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions. So when they eventually made their international debut against Greece in Finland on July 12, 2022, the magnitude of the occasion did not sink in.
“I personally didn't see this as far ahead,” recalls Justin, sitting next to Anthony days before Italy’s World Cup debut. “I knew we could compete, but you don't think these things happen to everyday people. But after that, I realised you represent a country. There are high standards. I'm glad it happened because it gave me a kick up the backside. Now every time you get the call, it's an opportunity. For me, it's the equivalent of getting a baggy green. It is more. That’s me representing my family,” Justin adds.
For Anthony, the moment hit when he put on the Italian jersey. “I did take it a little bit seriously, but there was a side where it was like playing on poor grounds. We have to get out of this tournament and into the next stage, and so on. But as we got up the levels, we started to go ‘right, we have got to wake up. This is business,” says Anthony as they credit the Manentis for setting the standards.
Over the next four years, Justin has played 20 T20Is while Anthony has donned the Italy jersey in 18 internationals. In this period, they almost qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies before eventually booking the ticket to India and Sri Lanka last year. For them, playing for Italy is about more than just competing at the highest level and making a living. In fact, both Justin and Anthony have their own life outside of cricket for that. Justin is a physical education teacher at a school where the majority of students are from Vietnamese communities. And Anthony teaches carpentry, guiding young kids to get back on track in life at a juvenile centre.
Playing for Italy, for the Mosca brothers, is about paying homage to the sacrifices made by their grandparents and parents to build a life in a new country.
Growing up in Moorebank in South-West Sydney, cricket was a big part of their childhood. Their father loved sports, and the brother spent years irritating their Nonna (grandmother) by hitting the fence and staining the walls whilst playing cricket. Every time she saw them hit the fence and walls playing cricket, she would yell ‘chi va a lavorare’ (Go do work) and chase them with shoes in her hand. Watching them train, their uncles and relatives would ask pagato? (Are you getting paid?). Being a part of the Italian community in Australia was about working hard and having a better life.
And of course, cheering for the Azzurri during the football World Cups and Euros. After all, they are a European giant in football while still finding their feet in cricket. “There was a place near home called Marconi, a premier soccer club in New South Wales, and they're an Italian club. Whenever the FIFA WC or Euros are on, they used to have a function room and screen the Italian games at all hours of the morning. Everyone needs to go, sit there, have a few drinks and watch soccer. It is a cultural thing, and it helps build a different sort of camaraderie,” says Justin.
It is where the Mosca brothers fell in love with the sport. Ardent Liverpool fans in the Premier League, Anthony supports Juventus FC in Serie A, while Justin’s loyalty lies with AC Milan. One could sense the excitement in their voice when they talk about their favourite football stars — Paola Maldini and Roberto Baggio. Anthony used to grow out his hair like Maldini back in the day, and now Justin has done the same, leading up to the World Cup.
In fact, when they ran into Maldini at the Dubai airport before coming to India, the brothers were so star-struck that they could barely string together a few words. “I couldn't speak when I saw him. I just said, ‘photo?’. Before that, we met Mario Balotelli at our hotel,” says Justin as the elder brother chips in. “We have got one more to tick off, and that's Baggio. I'm trying to push the federation to make that happen because then I get Baggio and Steven Gerrard and my life's complete,” adds Anthon,y who reiterates that the picture they took with Maldini is going on the bedroom mantle even if he gets a partner in future.
The Azzurri, who have four World Cups, missed out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and are yet to qualify for the upcoming edition later this year. And before they get a chance to make the cut — Italy face Northern Ireland in the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers on March 27 — the Mosca brothers have a chance to do something special for the country at a World Cup.
And this time, the brothers will be on television. With Justin’s wife and their sister pregnant, they do not have any family travelling, but the friends and relatives who used to question them playing cricket back in the day will be cheering for them from back home. Justin’s wife has arranged for a screen at a local pub — just like how they used to watch Italian football growing up. “She is very pregnant, so she’s not travelling. She is going to get a few friends to the local pub in Camden to watch the matches. They are all messaging, a lot of my closemates, they are checking in,” says Justin.
Ask both of them what it means to go from batting together in the front yard as kids to opening the batting for Italy at a World Cup, Justin and Anthony struggle to find words. They are taking it all in, trying to make sure the occasion does not overwhelm them and reflect on it later. Justin and Anthony got a glimpse of what it would be like when they opened against the United Arab Emirates in a warm-up game at the scenic MA Chidambaram Stadium.
“It's very surreal. Walking out to Chennai Stadium…. I remember opening batting with him in our first game together at the Coogee Oval for first grade (match) very distinctly. Now to think that we're doing it here, and touchwood, we get to do it in a World Cup game. That's something you tell your kids and you hold that for the rest of your life,” says Justin.
“It hasn't probably hit properly, but when I got into the room here, I was like... ‘F***, mate’. I just looked, I said, ‘Mosca, Mosca’. It's always like you had the Waugh Brothers, the Husseys and all that, but to open the batting together with your brother, it's obviously at top of the tree. It's something you want to do as a kid, especially when you're close. It's something when we get back home after all this is done, I'll be going, ‘I can't believe that just happened’. There aren't many bigger places in world sport than playing a World Cup in India,” Anthony adds.
They may not have realised the significance of July 12, 2022, but both Justin and Anthony will hold February 9, 2026, dearly. For it could be the day the two Italian brothers from South-Western Sydney walk out to open the batting for their country of origin in a debut World Cup game. And when they do, expect Justin and Anthony to give it all and live the dream they had batting together in the front yard of their Nonna’s house all those years ago.