Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has high hopes for the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL), a six-team competition slated to be held in August-September later this year. These teams are from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, and the six cities with their representation in the league are: Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. The first edition will be played in Dublin and The Hague. Waugh, who led Australia to a World Cup win in 1999, is heading up the Amsterdam Flames as a co-owner and is excited about the T20 venture in Europe.
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Waugh believes the ETPL will help the three countries to grow at the international level. As of now, Ireland, which is a Test nation, Scotland and the Netherlands don’t get too many matches against big teams, which is so essential for improvement. It’s only at the time of an ICC event that they get some kind of spotlight. Ireland recently played a Test match against New Zealand, which they lost without putting up a fight. However, a few days ago, they beat world champions India 2-0 in T20Is. The introduction of a league like the ETPL can have great results in the long term, like, the possibility of the big teams getting beaten by the above three teams can go up manifold.
At a media meet online, when asked by the Hindustan Times Digital how important it was for the three teams to be good internationally to have a successful T20 league in terms of a massive following and solidity, Waugh said: “Well, I think it’s [the three teams getting better] gonna happen via the ETPL. It provides a great opportunity. You know, there are 36 players that have been selected today from Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.
“Now you’re playing alongside the best players in the world. So, to me, it’s going to fast-track, you know, these countries, in their cricket knowledge, their cricket skill-set, their mindset. I think it’s the best thing possible for these players because they have a shortage of international matches in international competition.
“I mean, Ireland recently played, I think, against New Zealand in a Test match and had no red-ball preparation leading up to it. So the more cricket these guys are exposed to, amongst better players, in tough conditions, under pressure, the more they’re gonna improve very quickly. So this ETPL will ensure that all three countries get better much more quickly.”
The Indian connection!
The league also has a lot of Indian flavour. Former India batsman Rahul Dravid is the co-owner of the Dublin Guardians, and in the inaugural edition, it will be captained by none other than former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Besides, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan is a part owner of the league.
“It’s absolutely brilliant to be involved. When I first heard about this, it was really exciting. I’ve always loved the passion and energy of cricket in Europe. The passion with which the players play the game. I’ve seen the passion of grassroots, and the T20 World Cup has also shown the talent, too. That’s something we can grow and build. It would be a dream to see the talent on the world stage,” Dravid said earlier this year.