NEW DELHI: Since retiring from international cricket, Steve Waugh has explored various business ventures, but owning a franchise in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) presents a new kind of challenge – one that the former Australia captain has eagerly embraced, driven by a mission to grow cricket across the continent.

The inaugural ETPL represents a major step for the sport in a region long regarded as underdeveloped in cricketing terms.

Steve Waugh, Glenn Maxwell join Abhishek Bachchan co-owned European T20 League

The league will operate with active support from the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands, and its ownership group boasts a star-studded mix of global sporting icons, including Australian hockey legend Jamie Dwyer, former New Zealand seamer Kyle Mills, and flamboyant Australian batter Glenn Maxwell.

For Waugh, who owns the Amsterdam Flames franchise, joining the league was both a strategic move and a deeply personal decision.

“To me, Europe is the last frontier of cricket, and that’s why I’m involved,” Waugh told PTI in an exclusive interaction.

“Yes, it was a fairly straightforward decision to get involved in the European T20.”

“From a business perspective, I’ve actually been involved in business for the last 25 years since I retired.

“I didn’t really go down the traditional cricket pathway.”

The former captain explained that since retiring, he has focused on independent ventures rather than taking on formal roles in cricket administration.

“I’ve been focused on my own ventures, including selling and writing books. This is a great challenge for me. It’s a bit of a change from what I’ve been doing, but I’ve been looking for a reason to get back into cricket,” he added.

Although Waugh has taken on mentoring roles before, he sees the ETPL as a unique opportunity to innovate and expand cricket’s reach in new territories.

“I’ve done some mentoring in the past, but this really excites me. It’s a new frontier for cricket in Europe — taking the global game there to expand it and find new cricketers. For me, being part of a franchise like the Amsterdam Flames is really exciting,” he added.

Waugh underlined that his enduring passion for the game extends beyond nostalgia, focusing instead on building sustainable systems and talent pipelines.

“It’s a great challenge. I’m still very passionate about creating a winning culture, developing players and identifying talent.”

The threat of franchise based T20 leagues in every nook and corner of the cricketing world is creating a space for freelancers who excel in just one format.

But when Waugh was asked if cricket will go the football way with players choosing clubs over country, he didn’t entirely seem convinced even though he has become a T20 investor.

“I’m not entirely sure I can answer that fully, but first and foremost, I want to say that I still love Test match cricket. We want to see Test cricket survive because, to me, it’s still the ultimate form of the game,” he said.

What sets the ETPL apart, Waugh believes, is its geographic and developmental context.

“I see this as a great opportunity for cricket in Europe, and that’s what differentiates it from other leagues. This is the first time such a league is being played in Europe.

There are more than 30 countries in Europe playing cricket, and three or four are already participating in the T20 World Cup,” he said.

According to Waugh, the backing of multiple boards and the ICC gives the league both credibility and purpose.

“The region has been underdeveloped and underutilized in the past, so this presents a real opportunity to grow the game. This is new, it’s exciting, and it has the backing of the cricket boards of Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland, along with the ICC,” he said.

“It’s sanctioned by four boards, and there are some very influential people involved. These are people with strong values ​​and good morals. We want to make this something special.”

For Mills, ETPL will provide an opportunity to players from Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands a chance to showcase their skills in a quality T20 event.

“Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands already have strong domestic competitions, but this league provides something extra,” Mills said.

“Their players are desperate to be involved in competitions around the world, but they often lack the platform to gain exposure. The European T20 Premier League will give them that opportunity,” Mills added.

(With PTI Inputs)