New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, who is the co-owner of Dublin Guardians in the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL), believes the competition will provide a vital platform for local talent to shine on the world stage, citing Europe's strong club culture and rich tradition of playing the sport.

The inaugural edition of the ETPL is set to kick off on August 26 and backed by prominent international figures including Dravid and former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis, who has taken on a dual role as co-owner and player for the Rotterdam Dockers.

"I think one of the things about the ETPL is that it's in a region which already has a rich tradition and history of the game. There's a really vibrant club culture here, including so many of the local population who play the sport. I think there's a tremendous passion and a love for the game in the continent.

“It's a really good opportunity, I believe, to create opportunities for a lot of the talent to be able to flourish and come onto the world stage. One of the things we really want to do is ensure everyone enjoys their cricket here and has a lot of fun playing the sport, and we want to entertain the fans.

“We want them to have a great experience, both on and off the field. We want them to watch some great, exciting cricket, and I think if the players are enjoying themselves, if the players are happy, then we'll see that on the field," Dravid said in a statement by the league on Monday.

Meanwhile, du Plessis opened up about his decision to step into team ownership as the Rotterdam Dockers co-owner, while continuing as an active franchise cricketer. "When this opportunity came around, I was like, 'It sounds great.' Why would you not want to play cricket in Europe? There are some great cities there and, for a circuit player like myself, you want to go to cool places for the game you love.

“So, first of all, I would love to go and play cricket there. The opportunity for the growth that can happen in Europe and for cricket there was the first thing. Then the second thing was, 'Would you actually be interested in being a co-owner?' I was like, 'That's actually very intriguing,' because now you're playing all these leagues around the world, but how do you get players to commit to the longevity of the tournament, to be all in?

“Players move around, and there are so many opportunities now when it comes to leagues. So, being part of something new, something fresh, gives you a great opportunity to take all your experience from playing in leagues around the world, take all the good, and try to bring it into a new tournament," he added.

--IANS

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