Cricket, which is also called the ‘Gentleman’s Sport’, is one of the most followed sport in the world. As per World Atlas statistics, cricket is the second-most popular team sport in the world with an estimated fan following of 2.5 billion, second only to football/soccer which has an estimated following of nearly four billion.
Cricket, which is also called the ‘Gentleman’s Sport’, is one of the most followed sport in the world. As per World Atlas statistics, cricket is the second-most popular team sport in the world with an estimated fan following of 2.5 billion, second only to football/soccer which has an estimated following of nearly four billion.
However, even after such massive following, cricket is pretty unknown in the continent of Europe. England is the only major country which represents the continent on the biggest stage and it has found some support with the emergence of countries like Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands, who have left their mark in different global events in the last decade or so.
Keeping that in mind, Daniel Weston – a Global Macro Hedge Fund Manager – came up with the idea of establishing a league called the European Cricket League.
Weston has represented Germany over the past few years, the highlight being his winning of the player of the series award in the 2018 ICC T20 World Cup European Qualifier, and was also the founder of the German Cricket TV, a social media based platform to cover and live stream cricket in Germany.
As per the 36-year-old, the idea behind establishing the European Cricket League was based on building upon a champions league structure, whereby domestic champions from each countries top leagues qualify for the European Cricket League, as the champions league of cricket in Europe. Daniel believes that if the champions league structure works so incredible well for European football, why can’t it one day work incredible well for European cricket?
To begin with, the competition will consist of eight teams – champions from their respective domestic leagues on the continent, and Weston believe such a format could one day make this league the second-best in the world behind the Indian Premier League (IPL). He likes to aim high.
“I hope one day it looks like the second biggest competition in the world after the IPL – that’s pretty simple [objective] for me,” said Weston while talking to the BBC on the cricket podcast Stumped. “We know how big the IPL is and in the space of a decade, it’s grown in an incredible way. My ambition here is to make something wonderful and spectacular, not only for Europe’s current cricketers, but for the next generation, the children of Europe’s current cricket lovers.”
The competition will be played in the T10 format and will involve teams from Denmark, France, Spain, Russia, Netherlands, Italy, Romania and Germany.
ECL will be the second such league in the world which will be played in the T10 format, however the major difference between ECL and any other league based on a shorter format will be the fact that it will not have same faces who are playing in different leagues all over the world throughout the year.
“As a cricket fan, I am sick of watching the same players playing different leagues all of the world,” said Weston in the same podcast. “Sport is about wanting to see confrontation between players that have passion, raw emotion and the will to win! When I see the pride and emotion in European club football, both amongst the fans and the players. That is where I want European cricket to arrive at in the years to come. I believe that sport clubs inspire community, and communities can bring out the best in people. European sports are focused around clubs and clubs are special places where special friendships and achievements can happen. So my focus is all around making sure cricket clubs have the ambition to achieve success and become stronger.”. For a European cricket club now, winning the domestic championship, and then becoming the “Kings of Europe” at the ECL is certainly worth fighting for, with prize money and newly found European cricket stardom up for grabs!
Such phenomenon will be new in cricket and will definitely come as a breath of fresh air in the world of white-ball cricket.
In this extremely tough mission, Weston is being joined by some of the best minds in the sports business industry which include former Director of Broadcasting at FIFA Roger Feiner, former CEO of the marketing team of the UEFA Champions League Thomas Klooz and former MD of the marketing team of the UEFA Champions League Frank Leenders.
The inaugural edition of the ECL will take place later this year from July 29 to July 31 at the La Manga Club in Murcia, Spain.
You and the world are invited to come and watch the story of the birth of a new cricket league unfold.
