T20 leagues have become the new best thing in cricket. From the commercial blockbuster in the subcontinent to the big bash in Australia, 20-over leagues have become a household name. These leagues showcase the perfect blend of local aspiring talent and the experience and skill of world-renowned cricketers that have already proven their mettle on the biggest stage.
Euro T20 Slam is another such initiative to take the game to the places in Europe where it hasn’t reached yet. Six teams from three countries are all set to converge in the high-octane twenty-over competition starting from the last week of August 2019.
The Euro T20 Slam foreign players list is full of cricketing legends that are experts at the twenty-over format. The young players that are about to become a part of this twenty over competition are sure to take home more than just money and medal.
The sheer experience they will gain playing with the likes of Shane Watson and Brendon McCullum is invaluable, and no amount of prize money can replace it.
Six Teams, One Prize
Six teams from three countries will participate to win the ultimate prize in this twenty-over competition. All of the participating teams have announced their pool of players and are all set to go head to head with one another to get their hands on the winners’ trophy.
The six teams participating in this competition are-
What Will The Venues Be For The Euro T20 Slam?
Three venues have been decided for the competition in the three different countries. These venues are –
- The Grange Club, Edinburgh, Scotland
- VRA Cricket Academy, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Malahide Cricket Club, Dublin, Ireland
Cricket fans from these three countries are waiting on the competition to start as the players get all set to intrigue them with high-intensity twenty over cricketing action. Choosing cricketing clubs to hold the matches over expensive stadiums will also prove to be helpful for the budding youngsters in the countries who dream to make it big in the cricketing world.
The experience they will gain watching cricketing greats play will stay with them throughout their cricketing lives. Their favorites among the Euro T20 Slam foreign players too will get the opportunity to meet talents from across Europe.
How Many Foreign Players Can A Squad Have?
The main focus of the league is to provide exposure to the budding talents from each of the teams. The tournament is designed to benefit the local players by allowing them to showcase their talent and make a name for themselves in the cricketing world.
Each of the teams has a pool of talented local players who have it in them to prove their potential while playing alongside and against the biggest names in the world of cricket.
It is, hence, necessary to strike the perfect balance between the big-name foreign players and the budding local youngsters in each of the teams. To maintain this balance and make every team a perfect blend of home talent and foreign marquee players, there is a limit set for the number of foreign players a squad can have.
Every one of the six teams participating must have at least 9 domestic players in the squad. Similarly, there’s a limit set for the number of foreign players a squad can have. The Euro T20 Slam foreign players limit is set at 7 players in a squad. Any of the squads cannot have more than 7 foreign players in their squad.
Euro T20 Slam League And Knockout Stage Format
Each of the teams will play a total of 10 matches in a round-robin format against one another. With the amount of talent on display, the league stage will consist of cricketing battles featuring one great against another.
After the league stage is over and done with, the top four teams in the table will move on to the semi-final stage. The first semi-final is scheduled to be played on 21st September 2019 at the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin, Ireland.
The format is best suited to twenty over cricket and the matches have a little gap between them which will make the wait less agonizing for the fans lining up at the Venues for watch the best in the game go head to head with one another.
Teams And The Foreign Big-Names They Boast
Each of the teams boasts a list of star twenty over players from across the cricketing world. Most of the specialized 20-over players are a part of this competition and are excited about taking the game to the stretches of Europe.
The list of marquee players is unending, let’s check the foreign talent on display one team at a time.
Edinburgh Rocks
The team from Edinburgh has a list of players best suited to the twenty-over format. Among the Edinburgh Rocks overseas players, some names have proven their mettle in several T20 leagues across the globe.
Martin Guptill
The explosive opening batsman from New Zealand, Martin Guptill is easily among the best T20 openers in the world.
Having somebody like him to make full use of the first six overs is a blessing for practically any team in the world. The Thirty-Two-year-old from the black caps has already scored more than 6000 T20 runs. Be it with the bat, hitting huge sixes over the bowler’s head or in the field making impossible stops and pulling off match changing run-outs, Martin Guptill is an absolute beast to have on your side.
For those unaware of what he can do in the field, the guy ran MS Dhoni out in the recent world cup semi-final and turned the match on its head with a throw of the ball.
Chris Lynn
The dominating opening batsman from down under, Chris Lynn has set twenty over leagues around the world on fire with his ruthless six-hitting and plucked-out-of-thin-air catches. Scorer of more than 4000 twenty-over runs in domestic leagues at a flaming strike rate of 142.1, Chris Lynn is a nightmare for new-ball bowlers across the cricketing spectrum.
Corey Anderson
Another twenty-over specialist from New Zealand, Corey Anderson is known for making the impossible possible with a bat in his hand. The explosive left-hand batsman is famous for towering sixes over the mid-wicket fence and has been doing it at both international and domestic levels in every nook and corner of the cricketing universe.
He also adds strength to any side he’s a part of with his left-arm medium bowling skills. The black cap has a knack of picking up big wickets in crucial intervals. He also held the record of fastest one-day hundred for his 36-ball ton against the West Indies until AB De Villiers broke it against the same opposition.
Matt Henry
Another addition to the league from New Zealand, Matt Henry is the medium-fast bowler who shares the new ball with Trent Boult for the black caps. With 74 wickets in 78 T20 matches, he’s a potent threat with the new ball for any opening batsman in the world. His recent performance in the World Cup against the dominant Indian side has only added to his illustrious yet developing bowling career. Apart from these four big names, the Edinburgh Rocks overseas players list consists of the sharp, pacy medium-pace bowling of Tymal Mills and cunning left-arm spin of Tabraiz Shamsi. The distribution of big-names across trades makes Edinburgh Rocks a force to reckon with.
Glasgow Giants
The name of Brendan McCullum among the Glasgow Giants foreign players makes the team a potent threat. But by no means is the team a one-man show of Baz and it too consists of a host of twenty-over specialists apart from the former New Zealand captain Brendan McCullum.
Dale Steyn
Among the greatest pace bowlers to have ever held the cricket ball, Dale Steyn is one of the most desirable cricketers for any team in the world. The South-African who has haunted every single batting order in his day is known for bowling unplayable deliveries with the new and the older ball.
An absolute champion who continues to defy age and fatigue, Dale Steyn is the perfect pace bowling spearhead for the Glasgow giants bowling attack.
Ravi Bopara
The all-rounder from England is one of the most well-traveled twenty-over cricketers in the world and is a specialist at the format. With his gritty but dangerous batting skills coupled with cunning slow-medium pace bowling, he is surely among the complete cricketers of his era. With the experience of over 250 twenty over matches and an aggregate of more than 5000 runs in the format, Glasgow giants have struck gold by having Ravi Bopara in their ranks.
Moises Henriques
Born in the Medeira Islands, famous for being the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo, Moises Henriques is another all-rounder from Australia. He’s one of those who can be considered a genuine all-rounder who is sure to contribute in all the three departments of the game.
He can bat anywhere from the top three to the lower middle order and is an electric fieldsman famous for making breathtaking stops on the fence.
Brendan McCullum surely has a great side with the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Usman Khan Shinwari, and Qais Ahmad with their valuable contributions to go with these three format specialists.
Amsterdam Knights
With Shane Watson leading their quest to victory, there is perfection spread perfectly in the Amsterdam Knights foreign players. The team consists of foreign players that enhance all the teams’ strength in all the three departments of the game.
Imran Tahir
Regarded as one of the best wrist spinners in the game, Imran Tahir has already proven his mettle in the twenty-over format across domestic leagues around the world. His jubilant celebration has become his signature and so has his witty leg spinners sprinkled with darting-in googlies that give a hard time to the very best in the business.
The South African is a regulation in the national side and has bagged 303 twenty-over wickets in the 248 matches he has featured in at a miserly economy rate of just over 7 runs per over.
Ben Cutting
Another all-rounder from Australia, Ben Cutting is an explosive lower-order batsman and an even better option with the ball. He’s known for hitting towering sixes in the Big bash league and has the knack of picking up crucial wickets with the ball in crunch situations.
He has played over a hundred T20 matches across the globe, and his experience is a great addition in the pool of Euro T20 Slam Foreign Players.
Ahmed Shahzad
The stylish opening batsman from Pakistan, Ahmed Shahzad is one of the most skilled batsmen of his generation. His class, coupled with the craft of getting runs in all situations makes him the perfect sheet-anchor for any twenty-over innings.
He has scored more than 5000 runs in the T20 over format at a decent strike rate of 124.1 and a handy batting average of 28.9.
Apart from these three, Shane Watson will have a lot more to work alongside at Amsterdam Knights. The fast bowling of Hassan Ali and Alzzari Joseph will be just what the Knights will need to strike in the powerplay.
Rotterdam Rhinos
The Rotterdam Rhinos too have a great pool of overseas players. Among the Rotterdam Rhinos foreign players, the presence of Rashid Khan makes them a bowling side to reckon with. The man from Afghanistan has defied odds to become one of the best spin bowlers in the format today.
Luke Ronchi
He played most of his cricket in Australia but now plays for New Zealand. Luke Ronchi is one of the most agile wicket-keepers in the world and a handy lower-order batsman suited perfectly to the twenty-over format.
He’s been playing in different twenty over leagues in the world and can be a handy floater in the batting order. Many teams have used him as a pinch hitter at number three and he has delivered with huge sixes.
Shaheen Afridi
Continuing with the rich tradition of fast bowlers from Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi is another one of the gems of fast bowling produced by the country. His twenty over career has just begun but his performances at the recently concluded world cup make him one of the rare fast bowlers who are equally lethal with the new and the old ball.
His addition to the Euro T20 Slam All Foreign Players list tells about the appeal the tournament has with the young talents across the globe.
Hardus Viljoen
This heavily built fast bowler from South Africa gives every batsman a very hard time with accurately executed short balls. He’s one of those fast bowlers who’s intimidating yet crafty with his variation and is best suited to the twenty over format.
His quick spells with the new ball are enough to break the back of any batting line-up.
Fakhar Zaman, the explosive batsman from Pakistan and the crafty England All-rounder Samit Patel are other notable additions to the Rotterdam Rhinos squad. Rotterdam Rhinos might not have big names when compared to other teams but they have a balanced eleven with handy players.
Dublin Chiefs
The winning captain of the recently concluded World Cup, Eoin Morgan is all set to lead the Dublin Chiefs in the Euro T20 Slam. His calm and composed captaincy coupled with explosive lower middle-order batting makes him the perfect captain.
He’s one of the most notable additions to the Euro T20 foreign players list.
Babar Azam
Babar Azam is regarded as one of the greats of the future. He’s a joy to watch with the bat in hand. His performances in the World Cup 2019 have further established him as one of the best young batsmen of today.
Along with Eoin Morgan, the addition of Babar Azam in the batting order makes Dublin Chiefs a solid force to reckon with.
Mohammed Amir
By far the most dramatic cricketing stories in recent decades, the return of Mohammed Aamer has been appreciated by cricketing fans across the globe. The left-arm fast bowler from Pakistan has come back with even better skills and optimized hunger for wickets.
His outswingers with the new ball coupled with the occasional in swinger have been giving a hard time to the batting greats of the cricketing world.
His addition in the Euro T20 Slam All Foreign Players list is great news for fans but terrible news for the Batsmen in the tournament.
Harry Gurney
Another one of English cricketers who is a specialist at the format, Harry Gurney is both daring and crafty with his bowling in the death overs.
His cunning slower balls are a delight to watch but a pain to face. The calm and composure he exudes make him one of the best death over bowlers among the youngsters.
Dublin Chiefs, led by Ireland born Eoin Morgan is perfectly balanced. Their clashes are sure to be filled with individual pieces of magic from the likes of Mohammed Aamer.
Belfast Titans
Led by one of the most destructive hitters of all time, Shahid Afridi, Belfast Titans are laden with twenty over specialists. The team is filled with explosive hitters and finishers who have made a name for themselves in various T20 leagues across the cricketing world.
JP Duminy
One of the most gritty and hardworking finishers of the modern game, JP Duminy is a master at finishing games. He has proved his mettle across the globe with different franchises and contributes with the ball and on the field as well.
His addition to the eT20s 2019 overseas players list is great for the tournament as he represents the hardworking yet dangerous brand of batting.
Luke Wright
Luke Wright is among the most experienced T20 players in the world. He has been playing T20 domestic leagues in different parts of the world and has been an invaluable addition in all the teams he has played in.
His towering sixes and agility in the field make him one of the most useful T20 cricketers today.
The experience he has in the format further adds on his value as a cricket best suited to the shorter format.
Mitchell McClenaghan
Another well-traveled twenty-over cricketer who is a regulation in almost all the T20 leagues around the world, Mitchell McClenaghan is a master of the craft when it comes to bowling in the twenty over format.
He is now unavailable for national selection and concentrates all his time and energy on improving on his T20 skills.
Belfast Titans have struck gold by getting their hands on a player tailor-made for the format.
Buckle Up For An Exhilarating Twenty Over Action
Everything about the Euro T20 Slam makes it the tournament to look for in the calendar year. Ranging from the talented young players to the list of Euro T20 Slam All Foreign Players, the tournament promises to be an eye catches for cricket fans all around the world.
Starting from the last week of August, the competition will go on for a month. The league stage will be followed by the semi-final stage where the top four teams collide for a spot in the grand finale.
The tournament will be a great platform for the local players in each team. These young players will get the opportunity to play alongside the greats of the game and test their skills against them. This initiative to stretch the sport across Europe deserves praise, and similar tournaments should be held in the future. Domestic leagues across the world have given birth to new talent; the Euro T20 Slam is expected to facilitate the same.
The fans should expect nothing less than exhilarating twenty-over action featuring the best in the world alongside fresh, intriguing talent. It all starts towards the end of August, mark your calendars and get set to get amazed by top-notch cricketing action.
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