European T20 Premier League earns WCA recognition for player standards

MUMBAI: ETPL has started its European innings with a vote of confidence from the players’ corner. The inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL) has been recognised by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) for its approach to player engagement and professional standards.

Tom Moffat, CEO, WCA, described ETPL as “a good example” of what can happen when leagues bring player representatives into the conversation early and establish clear arrangements before the first ball is bowled.

The WCA’s latest Global Leagues Hub Update listed ETPL under “Positive Progress”, highlighting its early engagement with the WCA as well as the Irish, Dutch and Scottish Cricketers’ Associations to collectively negotiate player agreements ahead of the league’s inaugural season.

The recognition is significant for a competition still in its first innings. Rather than treating player representation and contractual arrangements as matters to be sorted out along the way, ETPL has sought to build them into its operating framework from the start, with clear contracts, timely payments and professional standards among its stated priorities.

The league was founded by Abhishek Bachchan, Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra, together with GREX, and is being built in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB).

Abhishek Bachchan, Co-Founder, ETPL, said the WCA recognition validated the league’s attempt to build a competition respected not only for its cricket but also for the standards behind it.

Dhiraj Malhotra, also a Co-Founder, said creating the right environment for players was fundamental to the league’s vision, while Saurav Banerjee pointed to player representation, clear contracts, timely payments and professional standards as foundations of its governance approach.

Priyanka Kaul, Co-Founder, said credibility would ultimately be judged by how the league operates and delivers on its commitments to players, partners, franchises, boards and fans.

The WCA’s Global Leagues Hub, established in 2024, provides independent information on major domestic leagues and assesses competitions against criteria identified by players, associations and agents as important to professional standards and player welfare.

Warren Deutrom, ETPL Board Director, said good governance was essential for a new league seeking longevity. He added that early engagement with players’ associations was intended to ensure players remained at the centre of the competition’s framework.

ETPL spans Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands and features six franchise teams representing Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The multi-country T20 competition aims to combine international and emerging talent while expanding cricket audiences, participation and commercial opportunities across Europe.

With the WCA recognition arriving in its opening season, ETPL has already put one score on the board away from the cricket field. The bigger test now will be whether those professional standards can be maintained as the league moves into its next innings.