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Cricket is set to gain a new foothold in Europe with the launch of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), an ICC-sanctioned franchise tournament scheduled to debut in August 2026. The competition has already drawn prominent figures from sport and entertainment, including former Australian captain Steve Waugh, Olympic hockey champion Jamie Dwyer and Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan.
Waugh and Dwyer will jointly own the Amsterdam franchise alongside entrepreneur Tim Thomas, league officials confirmed. Their involvement forms part of a wider strategy to accelerate cricket’s growth across mainland Europe, where the sport continues to develop outside its traditional markets.
The six-team ETPL is supported by the national cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, and is designed to establish a professional T20 pathway in the region. Bachchan, one of the league’s co-founders, brings global visibility and long-term planning to the venture, which aims to create a viable and enduring franchise model.
Matches are expected to be staged across multiple European cities, including Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Belfast, with the opening season planned for late summer. Organisers say the league will prioritise opportunities for homegrown European players while also attracting established international talent.
The announcement marks another step in the global expansion of franchise cricket, as administrators look to take the game beyond its traditional heartlands and into emerging markets.
