ETPL: Waugh, Maxwell among owners in Abhishek Bachchan's T20 league
21 Jan 2026

A new European-based T20 league, co-owned by Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, is set to feature some big names in cricket.

The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) will be played in Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.

Australian cricket legends Steve Waugh and Glenn Maxwell are among the team owners in this league.

ETPL's ownership and franchise details
League structure

The ETPL, which was originally scheduled to start last summer, has seen three franchises sold so far. They are based in Amsterdam, Belfast, and Edinburgh.

Three more teams are yet to be sold in the league. Once sold, these remaining franchises will be based in Dublin, Rotterdam (Netherlands), and Glasgow (Scotland).

Waugh and Maxwell's roles in ETPL
Ownership details

Waugh, who retired over 20 years ago, is part of an investment group that owns the Amsterdam Flames. Other members of this group include former Australian hockey player Jamie Dwyer.

Maxwell will co-own the Belfast franchise with Rohan Lund, ex-Group CEO of NRMA, an Australia-based insurance company.

The Edinburgh franchise has been bought by former New Zealand players Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum.

ETPL's inaugural season and player signings
Season details

The inaugural season of the ETPL, which is the first ICC-sanctioned league to be played across multiple countries, will take place between August 26 and September 20.

Waugh has confirmed that Smith, Marsh (Australia's T20 captain), and Netherlands captain Scott Edwards have signed up with Amsterdam Flames.

"We've approached a number of players and haven't had one negative comment at all," Waugh told ESPNcricinfo.

Waugh's vision for ETPL and European cricket
Future prospects

Waugh, a two-time World Cup winner who has never played or coached T20 cricket, is excited about his investment in ETPL.

He believes this league will give continental players an opportunity to play with the world's best cricketers.

"This is a massive opportunity for European cricket," he said.

Bachchan, co-founder of ETPL, said they were close to signing an Indian broadcaster soon.