Ashwin Backs T20 for Olympic Inclusion and Global Reach
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has asserted that T20 cricket is here to stay, emphasizing that its shorter format makes it better suited for global expansion and inclusion in the Olympics. Speaking at the media interaction for the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) 2026 Player Draft, Ashwin, who serves as captain and mentor of the Dublin Guardians, said: "If the game has to become global and it has to become an Olympic sport, the shorter the game, the more viable it is, and that's how it's going to become much more bigger and you will see a better sample size of players, which is also very critical for several of these leagues which run through. T20 as a sport is here to stay. I'm not too sure about ODI cricket."
Adaptability Key to Success in Cricket
Ashwin stressed that adaptability is crucial for success in cricket, noting that players must continuously improve and adjust to different conditions. He cited the recent India vs Ireland T20I series, where India suffered a historic 2-0 series loss to Ireland, as an example of how playing conditions can significantly influence the game and challenge conventional T20 strategies. "I think cricket as a whole needs to be learned in a way that you get better every single day. You should be able to adapt. The name of the game is adaptation, which is why what happened recently between India and Ireland in that T20 series is a classic example of how conditions can eliminate a lot of aspects of the game that have been developed as a root cause of T20 as a sport," he said.
ETPL Inaugural Player Draft Completed
According to a press release, the ETPL marked a significant milestone with the completion of its inaugural Player Draft on Thursday. The league's six franchises assembled their squads by selecting 36 players, with 12 each from Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB). The draft saw players distributed evenly across the franchises, with the majority of Dutch players selected by Amsterdam Flames and Rotterdam Dockers. Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Glasgow Cosmic picked nine of the 12 Scottish players, while Dublin Guardians and Belfast Wolves selected seven of the 12 Irish players.
Key Selections and Franchise Squads
Among the headline selections, Rotterdam Dockers secured highly rated all-rounder Jai Moondra with their opening pick. Moondra has emerged as one of Ireland's brightest prospects and recently impressed against India in the T20I series, showcasing his wicket-taking abilities against the world champions. The Dockers further strengthened their squad by drafting Netherlands internationals Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Vikramjit Singh, and Saqib Zulfiqar, alongside Scotland's Jasper Davidson. Belfast Wolves bolstered their ranks with experienced Ireland international Paul Stirling and emerging left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys.
R Ashwin, captain and mentor of Dublin Guardians, explained his team's draft strategy: "While majority of our picks were Irish, I think nationality comes second; it's about the quality of the player and how they will fit into our mix. I do believe that, going into an auction or a draft, every single player that you pick must be a playable resource. Of course, there must be an exciting amount of skill that they put on display, but they must be very playable. If a player is unavailable, somebody should be able to seamlessly come in and fill up that role."
Jonty Rhodes, co-owner of Rotterdam Dockers, said: "Jai Moondra was someone we were particularly keen to bring into the squad after the way he has announced himself on the international stage. He is an exciting young talent with tremendous potential, and we're delighted to have secured him. Alongside Jai, we've put together a really exciting group of players from across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. We believe we have a strong, balanced squad with the depth and quality to be highly competitive, and we're looking forward to seeing them come together when the league gets underway."
Complete Squad Lists
Amsterdam Flames: Curtis Campher, Kyle Klein, Tim Pringle, Aryan Dutt, Jordan Neill, Max O'Dowd
Belfast Wolves: Matthew Humphreys, Fred Klaassen, Tim Tector, Paul Stirling, Zainullah Ihsan, Alexander Roy
Dublin Guardians: Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Matthew Hollard, Craig Young, Noah Croes, Chris Greaves
Edinburgh Castle Rockers: Gareth Delany, Ross Adair, Jack Jarvis, Charlie Tear, Safyaan Sharif, Finlay McCreath
Glasgow Cosmic: Brad Currie, Matthew Cross, Paul van Meekeren, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Chris McBride
Rotterdam Dockers: Jai Moondra, Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Jasper Davidson, Vikramjit Singh, Saqib Zulfiqar
Franchises Backed by Cricket Legends
The inaugural draft was a defining milestone for the ETPL, with franchises backed by cricket legends including Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, Glenn Maxwell, and Jonty Rhodes. Glenn Maxwell, co-owner of Irish Wolves, commented on his team's draft picks: "Incredibly happy with how the draft went. It's a new experience for me to be involved in starting a team from scratch. To go through the risk management process, building a squad and a team that we can put on the park and be really competitive has been a really great experience. Really happy how the draft went; we were able to get the picks that we needed, the playing skills we needed to give ourselves depth as well."
Steve Waugh, co-owner of Amsterdam Flames, said: "The first couple of choices were the players we wanted. And we knew after that we would have to think on our feet, improvise and see what the other teams were going to pick. Being the first choice (first team in the draft sequence) there's a big gap between some of the selections. You have to wait and see what goes on in front of you. We were all talking offline to make sure what the next selection is going to be."
Looking Ahead to Inaugural Season
With the squads now finalized, attention turns to the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League, which will bring together the best cricketing talent from Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands while providing emerging players with the opportunity to compete alongside established international stars.
