Tag: Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh, Glenn Maxwell among team owners in European T20 League

The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) has taken a major step forward with the announcement of its first set of franchise owners, headlined by Australian great Steve Waugh and current all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

The six-team competition, scheduled to begin later this year, is set to make history as the first ICC-sanctioned T20 league to be staged across multiple countries.

The ETPL will operate across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, marking a significant push to expand the game’s footprint in Europe.

The league is a joint venture between Cricket Ireland and India-based Rules Global (Rules X), in strategic collaboration with Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB).

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan is a co-owner of the league, alongside three Indian investors, including Dhiraj Malhotra, the former CEO of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals.

Among the franchises already sold, Amsterdam, Belfast and Edinburgh have confirmed ownership groups, while teams in Dublin, Rotterdam and Glasgow are expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.

Steve Waugh is part of a consortium that will own the Amsterdam-based franchise, named Amsterdam Flames. The group also includes former Australian field hockey star Jamie Dwyer.

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Glenn Maxwell, meanwhile, will co-own the Irish Wolves franchise alongside Rohan Lund, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Australian insurance giant NRMA.

Former New Zealand internationals Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum have also invested in the league, with the duo purchasing the Edinburgh franchise.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Waugh expressed enthusiasm about the response from the cricketing community and the league’s broader vision.

“We’ve approached a number of players and haven’t had one negative comment at all,” Waugh said.

“They’re fascinated by the concept, particularly because it’s something new in Europe. The potential to grow the game in a new market and help develop European and continental players is really exciting.”

The inaugural season of the ETPL is scheduled to run from August 26 to September 20, with matches to be played in Ireland and the Netherlands. Final venue details are expected to be confirmed in due course.

READ: PCB backs Bangladesh in T20 World Cup venue dispute, writes to ICC

Former Australian great predicts winner of Pakistan-India Champions Trophy clash

Former Australian great Steve Waugh shared his prediction for the highly-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled for Sunday.

Waugh, who led Australia to the World Cup victory in 1999, stated that India is the favorite to win the match against Pakistan. However, he did not rule out hosts, citing their unpredictability.

“An India-Pakistan game is more than a cricket match. It’s a huge event. Pakistan has been hot and cold over the last 12 months.”

“They are capable of doing really good things, so you are never sure what Pakistan side is going to turn up. India is the favourite, but it would not surprise me either if Pakistan wins the game,” Waugh said.

He further addressed the discussion around the Indian stalwart Virat Kohli, stating that it is too early to write him off.

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“I never write off great players. People said that Steve Smith was out of form, and as soon as you say that, they go out and score a hundred.”

“If people write off someone like Virat Kohli, it’s probably the best thing they can do because it will motivate him to perform well,” Waugh said in a virtual media interaction.

Steve Waugh highlighted Kohli’s mental barrier when playing outside off-stump balls.

“The tendency to hang the bat outside off stump is something he could rectify pretty quickly. It comes down to concentration and focus, ” said the former captain.

“Maybe those are the areas that are down at the moment. Maybe he thinks too far ahead, or thinks about the consequences rather than playing it one ball at a time,” he said.

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For the unaware, the hosts and defending Champions Pakistan began their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand.

They will now face arch-rivals India in the much-awaited clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23 before returning home to square off against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

READ: Champions Trophy: ‘He will regain his form soon’ Steve Smith heaps praise on Babar Azam

Steve Waugh criticizes ICC over South Africa naming seven uncapped players in Test squad

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has blamed the International Cricket Council (ICC) and leading cricket boards for not ‘caring’ about Test cricket after South Africa named their squad for the tour of New Zealand.

Steve Waugh’s criticism came in the wake of South Africa announcing a depleted squad, featuring seven uncapped players for the two-match Test series against New Zealand, commencing from February 4, 2024.

South Africa announced uncapped batter Neil Brand as the captain for the New Zealand tour which will be played at the same time as SA20 league, featuring the frontline Proteas players.

Steve Waugh voiced his concern for the future of Test cricket while putting the blame on ICC and major boards for not taking proactive steps for it.

“Obviously they don’t care, but If the ICC or someone doesn’t step in shortly then Test cricket doesn’t become Test cricket because you’re not testing yourself against the best players,” Waugh said.

“I understand why players don’t come. They’re not getting paid properly. I don’t understand why ICC or the top countries who are making a lot of money don’t just have a regulation set fee for Test matches which is a premium, so people are incentivised to play Test Cricket,” he further added.

Steve Waugh furiously stated that not sending a full-fledged team is disrespectful to Test cricket as well as the opposing team.

“If I was New Zealand I wouldn’t even play the series. I don’t know why they’re even playing. Why would you when it shows a lack of respect for New Zealand cricket?”

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Steve Waugh also expressed concerns that if the same tradition persisted, then Test cricket would not remain as competitive in future as it should be.

“The West Indies aren’t sending their full-strength side [to Australia this summer]. They haven’t picked a full-strength Test team for a couple of years now,” stated the former Australian skipper.

“Someone like Nicholas Pooran is really a Test batsman who doesn’t play Test cricket. Jason Holder, probably their best player, is not playing now. Even Pakistan didn’t send a full side [to Australia].”

“The public are the ones who are going to suffer because it’s not the full side playing, so it’s not Test cricket,” Waugh concluded.

South Africa will play the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui from February 4 to February 8, while the second Test will be played from February 13 to February 17 in Hamilton.

South Africa squad for New Zealand series

Neil Brand (c), David Bedingham, Ruan de Swardt, Clyde Fortuin (wk), Zubayr Hamza, Tshepo Moreki, Mihlali Mpongwana, Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson, Keegan Petersen, Dane Piedt, Raynard van Tonder, Shaun von Berg, Khaya Zondo

READ: David Warner announces retirement from ODI cricket ahead of farewell Test

David Warner becomes Australia’s second-highest run-scorer in international cricket

MELBOURNE: Left-hand opening batter David Warner surpassed former captain Steve Waugh to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket for Australia during the first day of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at MCG on Tuesday.

David Warner scored 38 runs against Pakistan before he was dismissed by Salman Ali Agha after being dropped earlier by Abdullah Shafique when he was at 2.

Warner has scored 18,502 runs in 460 innings across three formats during his illustrious career since making his debut in 2009 during South Africa’s tour of Australia.

He surpassed former captain Steve Waugh, who scored 18,496 in 548 innings at an average of 41.65.

The southpaw is now only behind the two-time World Cup-winning captain, Ricky Ponting, who has accumulated 27,368 runs in 667 innings during a career spanning 17 years.

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Notably, Australia scored 187-3 against Pakistan on the first day of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with Marnus Labuschagne (44) and Travis Head (9) on the crease.

The second Test was interrupted by rain in the latter half of the day, consequently allowing only 66 overs of play.

Playing XIs

Australia

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan

Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal

READ: Usman Khawaja sports shoes with daughters’ names in Boxing Day Test

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