Maxwell Highlights Growing Competitiveness of Associate Teams Against Full Member Nations

New Delhi, July 2: Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has noted that the gap between major cricket teams and emerging nations is rapidly closing. He pointed out that the USA came close to defeating India in the T20 World Cup, and the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) could further accelerate the progress of these emerging teams.

After the ETPL 2026 player draft, the co-owner and captain of the Belfast Wolves emphasized that franchise leagues provide associate nations with essential experience and a platform to consistently challenge the world’s best teams.

Recently, Ireland achieved a clean sweep against India in a T20 series, and when asked if the ETPL could help European players achieve similar results, Maxwell responded positively.

He cited the USA’s performance against India in the T20 World Cup as an example. He believes that emerging teams are already capable of challenging established cricketing nations.

During a media interaction following the ETPL 2026 player draft, Maxwell stated, “Yes, I think you just have to look at a team like the USA. The way they have progressed as a team and played in the last T20 World Cup… I mean, the one held in India. The way they challenged other teams. If they had perhaps caught that catch from Sky (Suryakumar Yadav), they could have beaten India.”

Maxwell acknowledged that emerging cricket nations are improving rapidly. He supported the ETPL’s crucial role in the development of cricket in Europe, saying, “Hopefully, it will be the same with the ETPL. Development can happen quite quickly in these countries. It will inspire the next generation of cricketers.”

However, he admitted that building a sustainable cricket culture takes time. Yet, he noted that recent ICC tournaments have already shown that associate nations are becoming more competitive against full member countries. “It may take a little more time, but we saw during the recent T20 World Cup, where many different countries participated, that this can happen quite quickly,” he added.

Maxwell believes that regular opportunities to play against experienced international teams will help emerging nations continue their progress. He stated, “Emerging teams get the chance to play against these established teams, which have a lot of experience. I think the World Cup experience is significant. They can challenge them and give them a tough fight at different moments.”

In conclusion, Maxwell expressed that the success of the ETPL could ensure that European teams continue to close the gap with the world’s leading cricket nations. He said, “I think with the success of the ETPL, we will see this in the future.”