A new annual Twenty20 cricket franchise tournament, called the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), is set to launch later this year, after being sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The privately-owned tournament will hold its inaugural edition between July 15 and August 3, in a partnership between the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.
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The Rules Sport Tech firm has been brought in as the tournament’s strategic partner, while Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan has invested in the tournament as a co-owner.
As the run-up to the first edition of the ETPL commences, an interim working group has been created. That body has been established to “guide decision-making and oversee the resourcing of a new administrative entity to run the event."
Warren Deutrom, chair of Cricket Ireland and of the interim working group, has said: “We are delighted to confirm the ICC sanction of the ETPL and agreements are now in place across the joint venture partners. This is an important day in the development of the event, as it effectively fires the starting pistol on work around three important areas – franchise ownership, broadcast, and the player draft.
“A formal launch event for the ETPL will be held in due course to unveil key franchise and fan information, including franchise ownership, names and brands – and details about the players draft, which has become a popular feature of many franchise tournaments.”
Bachchan added: “I am dedicated to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the ETPL becomes a resounding success, bringing cricket closer to millions across Europe.”
Another director, Priyanka Kaul, has been quoted as saying that there will be six teams initially – representing Dublin, Belfast, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
The ETPL comes with the Euro T20 Slam – the previous attempt to establish a European Twenty20 competition – having never got off the ground, following several postponements.
It was initially meant to launch in August 2019.
