Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell announced as co-owner of Belfast-based T20 franchise

WILLIAM MCGRATH

Three-time ICC World Cup winning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been announced as a co-owner of the Belfast-based Irish Wolves for the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL), set to begin in August.

CEO of Australian insurance company NRMA Rohan Lund makes up the second half of the ownership team for the side.

Three ETPL sides were launched at a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday, with former New Zealand internationals Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills taking ownership of the Edinburgh-based franchise, while former Aussie test captain Steve Waugh, along with former field hockey legend Jamie Dwyer in charge of the Amsterdam Flames.

Franchises based in Glasgow, Dublin, and Rotterdam are also set to be announced but are yet to find owners.

The league, which was initially named the Euro T20 slam and due to begin in 2019, was founded by an Indian group headed up Bollywood star Abishek Bachchan and former Delhi Capitals CEO Dhiraj Malhotra in collaboration with Cricket Island, Cricket Scotland, Netherlands Cricket Board, and India-based Rules Global.

Speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, Waugh announced current Australian limited-overs captain and test vice-captain Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith have signed with the flames for the inaugural season, along with Netherlands captain Scott Edwards, while they’ve also had “positive talks” with Aussie T20 powerhouse Tim David.

The inaugural season is set to kick off on August 26th, with the final on September 20th.