Former Australia captain Steve Waugh is among the franchise investors in a new men’s European T20 tournament set to be played by city-based teams across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands later this year.
The six-team European T20 Premier League (ETPL) was originally scheduled to launch in 2025 but was postponed after franchise sales were not completed on time. Three franchises have now been sold, with two backed by Australian investor groups and one by a New Zealand consortium.
Waugh is leading the Amsterdam Flames, supported by a consortium that includes former Australian hockey star Jamie Dwyer and businessman Tim Thomas. The franchise has already signed Australian internationals Steve Smith and Mitch Marsh as overseas players. Waugh said he was “fascinated” by the opportunity to take top-level cricket to continental Europe, insisting the league was “the real deal”.
Bollywood actor and producer Abhishek Bachchan is also a part-owner of the ETPL alongside Indian company Rules Sport Tech. BBC Sport reported that franchises were sold for around £11.1 million over 10 years, with team salary budgets of about £1.1 million per season.
The inaugural tournament is set to begin on 26 August and will be run in collaboration with the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands. The International Cricket Council has sanctioned the league, viewing it as a platform for developing cricket across Europe. Bachchan said the quality of players ensured the tournament would be “world class”.
