Waugh signs Smith, Marsh for Amsterdam in new T20 comp

Steve Smith and Mitch Marsh are the headline recruits for a new six-team European T20 venture that has Steve Waugh and Glenn Maxwell among its chief investors.

Waugh is co-owner of a new T20 franchise in Amsterdam while Maxwell has invested in a club based in Belfast as part of a six-team European T20 Premier League (ETPL) that is expected to start in late August.

Other franchises will be based in Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Rotterdam.

Waugh is part of a consortium that heads up the Amsterdam Flames while Maxwell has invested in the Irish Wolves. 

Former New Zealand internationals Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum are co-owners of Edinburgh's Castle Rockers, with the other three franchises to be announced in coming weeks.

The league is a strategic partnership between Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and KNCB, the Netherlands cricket board in a joint-venture with an India-based consortium that includes Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan. 

Waugh has already secured two Australian stars for the Amsterdam side, and claimed he was in "positive" discussions with Tim David. 

"I am really excited to sign Mitchell Marsh as our captain for our initial couple of seasons," Waugh said.

"He is a fantastic leader and T20 captain of Australia. We also have Steve Smith, a legend of the game and another captain of Australia. So they are massive signings straight up. We also have the Dutch captain Scott Edwards signed up with us.

"Really it is the final frontier for cricket, Europe. There are 35 countries in Europe that play cricket and it is a chance to develop cricket there, but also to bring in global superstars.

"It is an exciting phase to be part of. Obviously there is the Indian Premier League and leagues all around the world, but nothing has happened in Europe so far."

Waugh, who has been involved in philanthropic projects as well as entrepreneurial pursuits since retirement, said that experience had given him an understanding of what it takes to be owner of a franchise.

It is the opportunity to take elite cricket to fertile and untapped territory that most excites him.

"I am really excited to be a part of developing cricketers around Europe and putting on a showcase Europe has never seen before," he said.

Maxwell, one of the game's greatest T20 cricketers, said his Irish Wolves outfit would combine "fun" and playing with "no fear" in a mirror image of his own modus operandi.

"The Irish people love their sport and Cricket Ireland have made huge strides in expanding the game over the last two decades," he said.

"The Wolves and the European T20 Premier League will accelerate that growth, and I feel super proud to be leading the franchise in its inaugural year."

The BBC reported franchises were sold for A$22.1m over a 10-year period with a salary budget about $A3m per season. Squad sizes are yet to be confirmed with reports that at least seven players would need to be from European countries.

The inaugural edition of the EPTL is expected to run between August 26 and September 10. Australia are expected to travel to Africa in September for three ODIs in Zimbabwe before three ODIs and three Tests in South Africa.