New era for European cricket begins with the official launch of the Euro T20 Slam

Dublin, 30th April – Details of the new Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament were unveiled today, including some of the marquee players that will play in the inaugural tournament and the event logo, at a star-studded ceremony in the Westin Hotel.

The details were revealed by Pakistan’s former cricket legend Wasim Akram, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar and Bollywood star Yami Gautam. The ceremony was also attended by who’s who of the three participating cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands.

Woods Entertainment and GS Holding Inc (promoters of the league) staged a launch event that unveiled the names of three icon players set to be involved:

• Shane Watson from Australia
• Brendon McCullum from New Zealand
• Rashid Khan from Afghanistan

In addition, three marquee players were also announced:

• Chris Lynn from Australia
• Babar Azam from Pakistan
• Luke Ronchi from New Zealand

The launch event also saw cricket stars from host nations participate in a Q+A session: Kevin O’Brien and Gary Wilson from Ireland, Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer and Richie Berrington, and Netherlands’ legends Peter Seelaar and Ben Cooper.

A centrepiece of the launch event was the dramatic unveiling of the new tournament logo, with Bollywood star, Yami Gautam, breaking a glass panel to reveal the design.

The logo’s colour scheme is inspired by colours associated with Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands, while the swashbuckling batsman in the logo signifies the vibrant nature of T20 cricket.

The tournament will get underway from 30th August and will culminate on 22nd September. Six teams will participate in the inaugural event, playing in Dublin, Edinburgh and Amsterdam. Both Wasim and Dilip were announced as members of the Euro T20 advisory committee.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:

“We are very excited that nearly 20 months of planning has brought us to this day. Speaking from an Irish perspective, one of the prime motivators for the Slam is to provide greater opportunities for Irish players to play top quality T20 cricket. The opportunity for all of our players – as well as coaches and officials – to operate alongside some of the best in the world will only benefit both our established and emerging talent for at least the next decade. Our colleagues at Scotland and Netherlands view this the event the same – and collectively we view the event as an opportunity to help properly popularise the game of cricket in our 3 nations through the vehicle of T20 franchise cricket.”

Wasim Akram said:

“It’s an honour to be a part of the launch of Euro T20 Slam and I want to congratulate all the cricket boards and the promotors to start a league like this in this part of the world. Over the years, I have seen immense talent emerging out of this continent and to see them getting a platform like this is nothing but a great opportunity.”

Dilip Vengsarkar added:

“The rise of T20 cricket leagues around the world is surely a sign of the growth of this beautiful game. What sets the Euro T20 Slam different from other leagues, is the fact that it is taking cricket in the most entertaining form to these soccer crazy nations. I hope the local players will make full use of this opportunity and aim to bring their countries laurels in the near future.”

Bollywood actor Yami Gautam said:

“Cricket is a religion in our country and to promote the same in this part of the world is an honour. It’s also a privilege to launch the logo of the most anticipated Euro T20 Slam in front of the Irish crowd. India has seen the impact of marrying Bollywood with cricket, and I am sure Europe will witness the same. I wish all the best to all the players and I promise that they’ll have a permanent Indian fan applauding their performance.”

Woods Entertainment and GS Holding Inc have also inaugurated the official site of the league – www.et20s.com

Mr. Prashant Mishra, Woods Entertainment, said:

“We have been planning this day for a long time along with the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands. We are glad that we have found a window right before the Ireland vs England ODI series to launch this tournament. In this World Cup year, the awareness and excitement around cricket will be immense. The Euro T20 Slam will be a perfect culmination for the most enthralling cricket season in the region.”

Minister Shane Ross, said:

“It’s a pleasure to be part of the launch of the Euro T20 Slam today in Dublin. This is an exciting time for cricket in Europe. The hard work done by the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands has come to fruition and this new league promises to be a great addition to the cricketing calendar. I wish all our cricketers the best of luck”.