Dublin, July 2 (IANS) The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) completed its first-ever Player Draft in Dublin on Thursday, marking a major milestone ahead of the tournament’s inaugural season. The league’s six franchises selected 36 players, 12 each from Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB), to finalise their core squads, with Irish all-rounder Jai Moondra and veteran batter Paul Stirling among the headline picks.

The draft saw an even distribution of talent across the six teams, although franchises largely leaned towards players from their respective regions. Amsterdam Flames and Rotterdam Dockers selected the majority of the Dutch contingent, while Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Glasgow Cosmic drafted nine of the 12 Scottish players. Dublin Guardians and Belfast Wolves, meanwhile, picked seven of the 12 Irish players.

One of the biggest talking points of the draft was Rotterdam Dockers making highly rated all-rounder Jai Moondra their opening selection. Moondra has emerged as one of Ireland’s brightest young prospects and recently impressed in the T20I series against India with his all-round performances. The Dockers also strengthened their squad by adding Netherlands internationals Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Vikramjit Singh, and Saqib Zulfiqar, along with Scotland’s Jasper Davidson.

Belfast Wolves, meanwhile, added proven international experience by drafting Ireland opener Paul Stirling and left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys as part of their inaugural squad.

Dublin Guardians captain and mentor Ravichandran Ashwin explained that his franchise prioritised versatility and role clarity over nationality while building its squad. “While the 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 that role.”

Rotterdam Dockers co-owner Jonty Rhodes said Moondra had been a priority target after his recent rise on the international stage.

“Jai Moondra was someone we were particularly keen to bring into the squad after the way he 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.”

The remaining franchises also completed their player selections during the draft:

Amsterdam Flames: Curtis Campher, Kyle Klein, Tim Pringle, Aryan Dutt, Jordan Neill, and Max O’Dowd.

Belfast Wolves: Matthew Humphreys, Fred Klaassen, Tim Tector, Paul Stirling, Zainullah Ihsan, and Alexander Roy.

Dublin Guardians: Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Matthew Hollard, Craig Young, Noah Croes, and Chris Greaves.

Edinburgh Castle Rockers: Gareth Delany, Ross Adair, Jack Jarvis, Charlie Tear, Safyaan Sharif, and Finlay McCreath.

Glasgow Cosmic: Brad Currie, Matthew Cross, Paul van Meekeren, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, and Chris McBride.

Rotterdam Dockers: Jai Moondra, Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Jasper Davidson, Vikramjit Singh, and Saqib Zulfiqar.

Irish Wolves co-owner Glenn Maxwell expressed satisfaction with the squad-building process, describing the draft as a rewarding experience.

“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.”

Amsterdam Flames co-owner Steve Waugh said the draft demanded flexibility, particularly after making the opening selection.

“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.”

The inaugural draft represents one of the most significant milestones in the ETPL’s build-up, with franchises backed by several of cricket’s biggest names, including Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, Glenn Maxwell, and Jonty Rhodes. With the squads now finalised, focus shifts to the league’s maiden season, where established internationals and emerging talent from Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands will compete together in a new franchise competition.

–IANS

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