From Football Banter to International Cricket: Jordan Netto’s Portuguese Adventure
The UTS North Sydney wicketkeeper-bat has held Portuguese citizenship since birth — both sides of his family originally came from Portugal before moving to South Africa — but he did not even realise Portugal played international cricket.
Jordan Netto had never really imagined playing international cricket.
The UTS North Sydney wicketkeeper-bat has held Portuguese citizenship since birth — both sides of his family originally came from Portugal before moving to South Africa — but he did not even realise Portugal played international cricket.
It took a conversation about football with his coach at Trinity Mid-Whitgiftians in the UK to change that.
“We were talking about the Football World Cup and he jokingly told me I needed to find another team to support because Australia aren’t very good,” Jordan said. “When I mentioned my Portuguese roots, he told me that he had previously played with the captain of Portugal. That was when I realised that playing for the national team could actually be a possibility.”
The opportunity quickly became reality. Cricket Portugal contacted Jordan, who sent through his playing statistics and video footage before speaking with the national set-up. “I had a call with them shortly afterwards and, from there, the process was really seamless.”
That led our man to Sweden and Finland for T20 international bilateral series and then back to Kerava in Finland, where Portugal won the sub-regional qualifier for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup — and where Jordan found himself sharing a dressing room with former Australian international Moises Henriques. Jordan had heard rumours around two months before the qualifiers that Henriques might be joining the Portuguese squad. When it was confirmed that Henriques would captain the team, he was eager to see first-hand how a player of his experience approached the game.
“It was a really cool experience,” Jordan said. “Seeing firsthand how he managed the team, how calm he remained, the way he handled his bowling changes, and then watching him bat really showed me the different levels there are to the game.”
Henriques was not the only experienced cricketer in the squad. Portugal assembled a diverse group with a range of professional and high-level club experience from around the world. “There is a great mix of cricketers in the team. There are several guys, like Seb de Oliveira and Jeremy Martins, who played provincial cricket in South Africa before moving to Ireland. Chris De Freitas is currently playing for Ireland A in Zimbabwe, while Craig Cachopa has played first-class cricket and scored a double hundred for Sussex.”
The squad also included Cam Shekleton, who plays professionally in South Africa for the KZN Tuskers, as well as a number of accomplished English club cricketers. The experience offered Jordan an opportunity to test himself alongside players whose backgrounds extended well beyond the typical club environment — and to observe the small differences that separate experienced professionals from the rest.
The biggest lesson, he said, came from watching how Henriques and Cachopa approached match days. “Both Moises and Craig were incredibly calm on game day. They had complete confidence in their preparation and treated the warm-up as exactly that — a warm-up, rather than another training session. When it came time to play, they were primed and ready to perform.”
Just as importantly, Jordan noticed that neither player allowed one poor performance to undermine their confidence. “They weren’t overly harsh on themselves after a game. They trusted their process, continued to back their preparation and had confidence that, if they kept doing the right things, the performances would come.”
Those are lessons Jordan plans to bring back to the Bears as the new Australian season approaches.
Portugal’s victory in Finland was only the first step in a longer World Cup journey. The next qualifier is scheduled for the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2027, and Jordan is determined to give himself the best possible chance of being involved.“ My focus is simply on scoring as many runs as I possibly can this season and putting myself in the best position heading into next year,” he said.
While Portugal is still developing as a cricket nation, Jordan notes that there is genuine momentum around the game. “There is definitely a real buzz around cricket in Portugal, and the domestic competition is growing,” he said. “At the moment, I feel it is still largely supported by expats, but more locals are starting to get involved.” The development of a turf wicket, planned for next year, is also expected to help strengthen the domestic game.
Portugal’s ambitions are considerable. Inspired by Italy’s recent progress on the international stage, the national program is aiming to break into the world’s top 30, gain ODI status and earn opportunities against stronger opposition.
For Netto, the journey from a casual conversation about football to representing Portugal on the international stage has been an unexpected one. But with a World Cup qualifying campaign now underway and a season with the Bears ahead of him, the adventure may be only just beginning. And as he returns to UTS North Sydney, he does so with a new appreciation for preparation, perspective and trusting the process. “This is definitely something I’ll take with me into the new season with the Bears.”
Photos © Cricket Portugal