Cricket Ireland chairperson Brian MacNeice believes the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) will be a game-changer, accelerating the sport's massive growth potential across Europe. He notes the excitement for the new league is already building.
Cricket Ireland chairperson Brian MacNeice spoke on the growth potential of the sport in the continent with the help of the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL), saying that Europe has the biggest growth potential in the sport and the tournament will drive as one of the accelerators of the growth. Brian was speaking to ANI following Ireland's historic win over India in the first T20I at Belfast on Friday. He spoke on the inaugural season of ETPL, the excitement and work going around a possible European Cup, featuring some of the best European teams battling the rising ones.
Speaking to ANI on Saturday about the hype of ETPL after the Ireland win, Brian said, "It is really growing (the hype around ETPL). I spent a little bit of time going around the ground yesterday (after Ireland's win), just engaging with some of the supporters and fans. They were all really excited about the prospect of the European T20 Premier League coming."
"From a player's point of view, from a coach's point of view, from an ownership point of view, we have got fantastic owners in the European T20 Premier League. We have got great founders who've backed the vision for what we are creating. The three-member boards that are involved, the Irish, the Dutch and the Scottish, are really excited about the tournament and what it will bring," he added.
ETPL: Europe's First ICC-Sanctioned League
ETPL is Europe's first ICC-sanctioned T20 league. Rotterdam franchise, based in the Netherlands, will compete in the inaugural season, scheduled from August 26 to September 20, 2026. Across 33 matches, six city-based franchises, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, and Rotterdam, will vie for honours in what marks a watershed moment for the European cricket scene.
A Game-Changer for European Cricket
Brian said that it will give players from these aforementioned nations a chance to play some of the best, noting thr high quality of players signing up for the tournament, such as Australian stars Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin, South African veterans Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen, among others.
He also expressed optimism on the growth of cricket in the continent and ETPL's massive role in it. "It provides our fans with an opportunity to engage and see top-level cricket more often. I have no doubt whatsoever that it will be a game-changer for the game right across the continent of Europe. The growth potential for cricket in Europe is enormous," he said.
Europe: The Next Frontier for Cricket Growth
"Not just in Ireland, in Scotland and in the Netherlands. You saw what Italy did in the last T20 World Cup. I have no doubt that over the next decade plus, cricket in Europe is going to grow. The ETPL is going to be a fundamental part of that and one of the accelerators of the growth of cricket across Europe," he added.
He also feels that the performances of European nations like Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands in the recent T20 World Cup show how Europe has some high-quality players, and ETPL will give them a platform to strengthen their game. "Outside of Asia, Europe is the largest in terms of the number of member countries that are in world cricket. It indexes second to Asia in terms of fan followership. We want to use the ETPL as a platform to showcase cricket in Europe and to really drive that growth. I would be very optimistic that this will lead to greater levels of visibility around cricket," he said.
"It will increase participation because people will be inspired by seeing top-class European cricket and a European league," he added.
Discussions Underway for European Cup
On the possibility of a European Cup featuring England playing against other established and rising European teams, as it was reported months back, Brian said that he is working with other member boards on this tournament. "My primary focus right now is the final preparation for season one of the European T20 Premier League. The focus is on getting that up and running. I am working very closely with the other member boards in relation to the idea of a European Cup competition as well. Those discussions are going very well, and I would be very optimistic that we will see something coming on," he said.
"I think ETPL will show what is possible, and I think if we build on that platform that ETPL has created with a European Cup-style competition, then again, all that will do is help grow the game right across Europe."
"For me, the biggest growth potential in global cricket right now is across Europe, and I'm absolutely determined, along with all of our partners in ETPL and in the member boards, to continue to work really hard to develop and grow the game right across Europe," he signed off. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)