THE European T20 Premier League has announced its first franchise owners, bringing together an international consortium led by Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan alongside cricket legends Steve Waugh and Glenn Maxwell, as the much-delayed tournament prepares for a late summer 2026 launch.
The ICC-sanctioned league, co-founded by Bachchan along with Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra, represents cricket's first professional multi-nation franchise competition in Europe.
The six-team tournament will feature 34 matches across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, with backing from the cricket boards of all three nations.
Wednesday's (21) announcement in Sydney confirmed the owners of the league's first three franchises. Amsterdam will be owned by a consortium led by Australian cricket great Waugh, former Australian hockey captain Jamie Dwyer, and Tim Thomas, former chief executive of the Centre for Australia-India Relations and former partner at KPMG Australia.
Edinburgh will be owned by former New Zealand internationals Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills, while Belfast will be owned by Australian all-rounder Maxwell together with Rohan Lund, former group chief executive of NRMA, with additional strategic partners to be announced.
For Waugh, who owns the Amsterdam Flames franchise, the venture represents both a business opportunity and a chance to expand cricket into what he describes as the sport's final frontier.
"To me, Europe is the last frontier of cricket, and that's why I'm involved," Waugh said. "I've always been selective about where I invest my time and energy in cricket. Franchise cricket has expanded quickly, but this opportunity stood out because it is driven by aspiration and long-term thinking."
The 59-year-old former captain, who retired from international cricket over two decades ago, has spent the intervening years focused on independent business ventures rather than traditional cricket administration roles.
"I've been involved in business for the last 25 years since I retired," he explained. "I've been focused on my own ventures, including selling and writing books. This is a great challenge for me. It's a bit of a change from what I've been doing, but I've been looking for a reason to get back into cricket."
Maxwell expressed enthusiasm about the league's potential in Ireland.
"I am thrilled to be involved with the Irish Wolves, where we will build a culture of fun, family and playing without fear," Maxwell said. "The Irish people love their sport and Cricket Ireland have made huge strides in expanding the game over the last two decades."
Despite becoming a T20 investor himself, Waugh was careful to emphasise his continued commitment to Test cricket's survival, even as franchise leagues proliferate globally.
"I'm not entirely sure I can answer that fully, but first and foremost, I want to say that I still love Test match cricket," he said when asked whether cricket might follow football's path of players prioritising clubs over countries. "We want to see Test cricket survive because, to me, it's still the ultimate form of the game."
What distinguishes the ETPL from other franchise leagues, Waugh believes, is its geographical context and developmental mission. More than 30 European countries currently play cricket, with three or four already participating in T20 World Cups.
"The region has been underdeveloped and underutilised in the past, so this presents a real opportunity to grow the game," he said. "This is new, it's exciting, and it has the backing of the cricket boards of Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland, along with the ICC. It's sanctioned by four boards, and there are some very influential people involved. These are people with strong values and good morals. We want to make this something special."
Mills, co-owner of the Edinburgh franchise, said the league will provide for associate nation players who often struggle to gain international exposure.
The ETPL is owned and operated through a joint venture between Rules Global ("Rules X") and Cricket Ireland, a full ICC member. The league has formal partnership agreements with Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB).
The tournament has experienced multiple delays since its initial conception. Originally envisaged for 2025, organisers postponed the launch to 2026 to allow more time for franchise negotiations, broadcasting agreements and commercial partnerships.
The late summer 2026 window will position the league to avoid clashes with major southern hemisphere and Caribbean franchise tournaments, including the Indian Premier League, while capitalising on European summer weather conditions.
(PTI)
