Dublin, July 2: The European T20 Premier League (ETP League) successfully completed its inaugural player draft in Dublin on Thursday. Six franchises finalized their core teams by selecting 36 players, including 12 from Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. Notable picks included Ireland’s Jay Moondra and Paul Stirling.
The draft showcased an equitable distribution of talent among the six teams. Each franchise predominantly selected players from their respective regions. The Amsterdam Flames and Rotterdam Dockers primarily chose Dutch players, while the Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Glasgow Cosmic selected nine out of twelve Scottish players. Meanwhile, the Dublin Guardians and Belfast Wolves picked seven out of twelve Irish players.
One of the most discussed selections was the Rotterdam Dockers’ choice of Jay Moondra as their first pick. Moondra has emerged as one of Ireland’s most promising young talents, having recently delivered impressive performances in a T20 series against India. The Dockers further strengthened their squad by including international players from the Netherlands, such as Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Vikramjit Singh, and Saqib Zulfiqar, along with Scotland’s Jasper Davidson.
The Belfast Wolves welcomed Ireland’s opener Paul Stirling and left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys into their squad.
Dublin Guardians’ captain and mentor Ravichandran Ashwin emphasized that their franchise prioritized diversity and clarity of roles over nationality when building their team. He stated, “Most of our selections were Irish players. I believe nationality comes second. When entering an auction or draft, the player you choose must be capable of playing. They should possess significant skills and be able to fill in for others seamlessly.”
Rotterdam Dockers’ co-owner Jonty Rhodes remarked that Moondra was a primary target after his recent emergence on the international stage. He said, “Jay Moondra was a player we specifically wanted to bring into the team because he has made a name for himself internationally. He is an exciting young talent with immense potential. We are thrilled to have him on board. With Jay, we have created a very exciting group of players from Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands. We believe we have a strong, balanced team with depth to be highly competitive. We look forward to seeing them come together when the league starts.”
Irish Wolves co-owner Glenn Maxwell expressed satisfaction with the squad-building process, describing the draft as a positive experience. He noted, “I am very happy with the draft. Starting a team from scratch has been a new experience for me. Building a squad that we can field and genuinely compete with has been a great experience. We got the players we needed, along with the playing skills necessary to deepen our roster.”
Steve Waugh, co-owner of the Amsterdam Flames, highlighted the need for flexibility during the draft. He mentioned that the initial selections were players they desired, but they had to think quickly about what other teams would choose. Being the first pick, there is often a significant gap between selections. You must wait and see what unfolds before you.
The first draft is one of the crucial milestones in the preparation for the ETP League, which features franchises supported by several cricketing legends, including Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, Glenn Maxwell, and Jonty Rhodes. With the teams now finalized, the focus shifts to the league’s inaugural season, where renowned international and emerging talents from Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands will compete in a new franchise competition.
Players selected during the draft by franchises include:
Amsterdam Flames: Curtis Campher, Kyle Klein, Tim Pringle, Aryan Dutt, Jordan Neill, and Max O’Dowd.
Belfast Wolves: Matthew Humphreys, Fred Klaassen, Tim Tector, Paul Stirling, Zainullah Ihsan, Alexander Roy.
Dublin Guardians: Benjamin Kallitz, George Dockrell, Matthew Holard, Craig Young, Noah Croze, Chris Greaves.
Edinburgh Castle Rockers: Gareth Delany, Ross Adair, Jack Jarvis, Charlie Tier, Safyaan Sharif, Finlay Macreath.
Glasgow Cosmic: Brad Wheal, Matthew Cross, Paul van Meekeren, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Chris McBride.
Rotterdam Dockers: Jay Moondra, Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Jasper Davidson, Vikramjit Singh, Saqib Zulfiqar.
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