Plans to carry a European T20 franchise event this summer time are to be shelved till 2026 as a result of three potential house owners are as a substitute specializing in finishing offers to purchase workforce stakes in The Hundred.
The European T20 Premier League (ETPL), half owned by Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, and involving city-based franchises from Eire, Scotland and the Netherlands, was set to start out subsequent month.
The six-team event was slated to happen from 15 July to three August however a number of sources have instructed BBC Sport the occasion will certainly not occur this 12 months.
The venture is being led by Cricket Eire in collaboration with the boards of Scotland and the Netherlands.
Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Amsterdam and Rotterdam have been the designated venues for the ETPL, which promised to “elevate native expertise, draw world superstars, and ignite a wave of cricketing enthusiasm throughout Europe”.
Offers for a minimum of three of the six city-based franchises are understood to be very near being signed off, and it was initially hoped that after they have been wrapped up, the remaining three would quickly observe.
Nevertheless, three of these potential ETPL franchise house owners are additionally buying stakes in The Hundred and are stated to have prioritised these offers.
In April, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) prolonged the deadline to finish gross sales of the Hundred franchises that have been agreed earlier this 12 months.
The knock-on impact of the delay in these gross sales is the postponement of the ETPL, with a proper announcement to verify it has been rescheduled to be made throughout the subsequent 48 hours.
Bollywood actor and movie produce Bachchan was introduced as part-owner of the ETPL along with Guidelines Sport Tech when it was launched in January.
Guidelines Sport Tech are a non-public Indian firm who “promote and create top quality sports activities initiatives, tournaments and occasions”.
Mumbai-born Bachchan, 49, travelled to Dublin in March to advertise the event by way of a collection of media interviews and Instagram posts.
It isn’t the primary time a European T20 franchise event involving the Dutch, Irish and Scottish cricket boards has struggled to get off the bottom.
In 2019, the Euro T20 Slam – which had completely different backers – was postponed simply over a fortnight earlier than the opening sport.
That got here after workforce names have been introduced, a draft held and marquee gamers together with Eoin Morgan have been allotted to franchises.
The event was then postponed a number of instances over subsequent years and by no means befell.
Organisers are buoyant in regards to the ETPL’s prospects, though no franchises have but been bought, and are assured it is not going to be stricken by the identical points because the Euro T20 Slam.
Cricket Eire, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Affiliation all declined to remark.
