The ETPL, the new European T20 franchise tournament, will not happen this year as intended. Given originally from July 15 to August 3, the cultural tournament has been delayed indefinitely, with plans now put off until 2026. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of multiple setbacks all due mainly to … Read more at trilogymedia.com
Cricket Ireland is the driving force behind the project especially in partnership with the cricket boards of Scotland and the Netherlands. Originally launched in January with Bollywood actor and film producer Amitabh Bachchan as a part-owner, the ETPL aimed to “draw global superstars and ignite a wave of cricketing enthusiasm across Europe.” Bachchan had personally come to Dublin in March himself to promote the event with a flurry of media interviews and on social media.
The tournament was scheduled to host cities across Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam. With the team names now set, the league held its first ever draft. Marquee players, including last year’s England World Cup winning captain, Eoin Morgan are assigned to various franchises. New advancements are suggesting that there is still more time needed before the tournament can safely proceed.
We hope to see a formal notice about the ETPL rescheduling within the next 48 hours. In the interim, agreements for at least three of the six city-based franchises are said to be nearing completion. Many of these prospective franchise owners are already seeking The Hundred, a rival tournament’s franchise, muscling in. That narrow focus has made them highly value those deals in comparison to the benefits of the ETPL.
The holdups in the ETPL serve as a microcosm for bigger troubles cricket is turfing up as it spreads across Europe. The enthusiasm generated by its release and outreach campaign was infectious. Winning support and ownership of franchises has proven to be far more complicated than we initially envisioned. For proof of its legitimacy within the global cricketing framework, the tournament is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council.
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