‘This is not a short-term project’ - Abhishek Bachchan shares vision behind European T20 Premier League

With the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) set to begin on August 26, league co-founder Abhishek Bachchan spoke about the long-term vision behind the tournament and the importance of building a sustainable cricket ecosystem in Europe. 

Speaking about the philosophy behind ETPL, Bachchan said the league's primary objective was to attract committed franchise owners who could create a strong foundation for the competition. He added that the involvement of renowned cricketers such as Faf du Plessis and Ravichandran Ashwin reflects the confidence players have in the league's vision.

"When my co-founders and I started the ETPL, we believed that if we got the right people to believe in our vision and buy teams, the players would follow. They would see the ownership and understand what their vision is,” Abhishek said in a statement released by ETPL.

“The kind of players these teams have already signed up, Faf du Plessis and R Ashwin, absolute legends of the game, proves that point. Amsterdam Flames have also done a great job of signing up many wonderful players. Everyone is working very hard. The players come because they see that the ownership means business. This is not a short-term project. This is something people believe in for the long term. They want to build something lasting. They are the best in the business when it comes to identifying and nurturing new talent. The players see that as well,” Abhishek continued.

Bachchan, who also owns franchises in the Pro Kabaddi League and Indian football, explained how his experience in those sports has shaped his approach towards ETPL. He stressed that the league is not trying to compete with Europe's established sporting competitions but instead aims to create its own identity and fan base.

"I have a fair amount of experience in team ownership because two of the teams that I own back home, one is in Kabaddi and one is in Football. They both aren't the number one sport in India and Cricket is the most watched sport by miles. So, I have a fair amount of experience, and that is one of the reasons that made me very comfortable to come into the ETPL on a league level. I had some sort of idea of what we can do to get a sport that might not be the first go-to sport but still drag eyeballs."

"The biggest lesson is not to compete with the big sports. It is about creating your own unique product and creating your own unique fan base to start with, and then it will organically grow into something. So, I think the biggest mistake we could make is try and compete with the big sports in Europe. They have been around in an organized franchise fashion for, in the case of football, over a hundred years. That is not something you can compete with. But you can learn from it, build your own fan base, and then allow them to do it themselves,” he concluded.

Steve Waugh highlights European cricket's potential

Former Australia captain and Amsterdam Flames co-owner Steve Waugh also expressed his optimism about the future of cricket in Europe. Referring to Ireland's recent 2-0 T20I series sweep over reigning world champions India, Waugh said the result showcased the region's untapped potential and further strengthened his belief in the ETPL project.

"Ireland whitewashing the T20 World Cup Champions, India, 2-0 is an amazing result for Irish cricket. It just shows how much potential there is for European cricket. That is why I am really excited about the ETPL, which is coming up in a month's time. I am a part of the Amsterdam Flames in this exciting venture. European cricket has got huge potential, as was seen in the last couple of weeks," stated Waugh.

The inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League will commence on August 26, with the tournament aiming to accelerate the growth of franchise cricket across Europe.