Abhishek Bachchan, co-founder and co-owner of the European T20 Premier League, has spoken about the long road to the competition’s launch and what he hopes it can achieve for cricket on the continent.
He was speaking in JioHotstar commentary on the opening day. Bachchan co-owns the league with Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra of Rules Global. The ETPL is a joint venture between Cricket Ireland and Rules Global, developed with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
An idea three years old
Bachchan said the project began as an idea three years ago and needed strong belief and teamwork to reach its first season. He thanked his team and the ICC for their backing, and stressed the need for a competitive and credible tournament. The crowd response and the atmosphere at the venue on day one, he said, were encouraging.
Opportunities for European players
A main reason for creating the league, he explained, was to let European cricketers play with and against some of the best players in the world. The opening season has six teams: Amsterdam Flames, Rotterdam Dockers, Belfast Wolves, Dublin Guardians, Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Glasgow Cosmic.
International names taking part include Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Trent Boult and Liam Livingstone. Bachchan believes such players can give young and local cricketers valuable experience and lift standards.
Relief after the first match
After the first game, Bachchan said he felt pleased and relieved to see the event under way, calling it an important proof of concept. He pointed to interest in Europe and beyond, and to figures such as Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid, Glenn Maxwell and Jonty Rhodes who are linked with the franchises.
