Amsterdam Flames
 Official logo of Amsterdam Flames | ||
| Nickname | The Flames | |
|---|---|---|
| League | European T20 Premier League | |
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Scott Edwards | |
| Coach | Ryan Cook | |
| Owner | Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer, Tim Thomas | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
| Colours | Orange, black, white | |
| Founded | January 21, 2026 | |
| History | ||
| ETPL wins | 0 | |
| Official website | amsterdamflames.com | |
| ||
 2026 Amsterdam Flames season | ||
The Amsterdam Flames are a professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[1] They compete in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).[2][3]
The team was announced in 2026 as one of six inaugural franchises to play in the league.[4] The Flames are owned by former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer, and Australian businessman Tim Thomas.[5] The team is coached by Ryan Cook and is captained by Mitchell Marsh.[6]
History
[edit]Formation and ownership
[edit]The Amsterdam Flames were established as part of the inaugural European T20 Premier League, a competition first conceived in 2019 by the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being revived in 2025.[1][7] The franchise is owned by a consortium led by former Australian captain and two-time World Cup winner Steve Waugh, who serves as co-owner and chief cricket officer.[5] The ownership group also includes five-time Olympian and former Kookaburras captain Jamie Dwyer, who brings high-performance expertise from his decorated field hockey career,[8] and Australian businessman Tim Thomas.[1]
Waugh's involvement marks his first serious engagement with professional cricket since retiring from international cricket over two decades prior.[1] In an interview with sports news website Cricinfo, Waugh described Europe as cricket's "last great frontier," stating, "To me, Europe is the last frontier of cricket, and that's why I'm involved."[1][6] The franchises were reportedly sold for approximately £11.1 million (INR 1,39,63,68,000) over a ten-year period.[6]
The inaugural season was originally planned for 2025 but was postponed to 2026 following investment delays and shifting commercial priorities, including investor focus on other franchise competitions such as The Hundred.[9][10]
2026: Inaugural season
[edit]The Flames quickly assembled their squad ahead of the inaugural 2026 season, signing Australian T20I captain Mitchell Marsh as captain, alongside Steve Smith and Tim David. Netherlands captain Scott Edwards, Dutch all-rounder Bas de Leede, English seamers David Payne and Richard Gleeson, and New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell were also signed.[6][1] Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane later joined the squad to strengthen the batting.[11]
The Flames, in the 2 July 2026 ETPL Player Draft, selected Dutch internationals Max O'Dowd, Aryan Dutt, Tim Pringle, and Kyle Klein. Irish all-rounder Curtis Campher and Jordan Neill were also picked up by the team during the draft.[12]
Ahead of the inaugural season opener, the team announced it would be led by Australian Mitchell Marsh but has reportedly pulled out to prioritise Australia's upcoming white-ball series against Zimbabwe and South Africa. Former Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards will take over from Marsh as Amsterdam captain.[13] The team will be coached by Ryan Cook.
Amsterdam began their inaugural campaign with a 5-wicket defeat to Rotterdam Dockers[14][15] a no-result against Edinburgh Castle Rockers due to rain in their second game[16] In a rain-affected game, a heavy 9-wicket defeat to Belfast Wolves in their third game[17] a convincing 7-wicket victory over Glasgow Cosmic[18] a 9-run win over Dublin Guardians[19] a 8-wicket win over Rotterdam Dockers[20]
The ETPL is heading to Malahide Cricket Ground in Malahide, Ireland and the second half is ready to begin.[21] a 5-wicket defeat to Belfast Wolves[22] a 8-wicket win over Edinburgh Castle Rockers[23] a 59-runs win over Dublin Guardians[24] Amsterdam completed their league campaign with a 5-wicket victory over Glasgow Cosmic.[25] After shooting up to a 2nd-place group stage finish heading into the playoffs, in the Qualifier a 7-wicket defeat to Belfast Wolves.[26] Amsterdam campaign ends in the qualifier.[27]
Players
[edit]Squad
[edit]The Flames moved swiftly to secure high-profile international talent ahead of the inaugural season. On 21 January 2026, the franchise announced the signings of current Australian T20I captain Mitchell Marsh as team captain,[6] alongside former Australian captain Steve Smith and explosive batter Tim David.[1][6] Waugh expressed his enthusiasm for Marsh's appointment, stating, "I am really excited to sign Mitchell Marsh as our captain for our initial couple of seasons. He is a fantastic leader and T20 captain of Australia."[6]
The franchise also secured the services of Netherlands captain Scott Edwards, a wicket-keeper batter who provides crucial local expertise and leadership within the squad.[1][6] In June 2026, Dutch all-rounder Bas de Leede was announced as the franchise's fifth signing, returning to his home country's domestic circuit after playing internationally.[28][6] Additional confirmed signings include English left-arm seamer David Payne, New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell, and English fast bowler Richard Gleeson, bolstering the team's bowling attack.[1][6] Ajinkya Rahane was also signed to reinforce the top-order batting.
Draft acquisitions
[edit]The ETPL Player Draft took place on 2 July 2026, with all six franchises selecting local players from associate nations through a snake-draft format.[6] Each franchise was required to select a minimum of six and a maximum of eight players from the draft pool, with salaries ranging from $20,000 to $55,000 depending on draft position.[29]
Dutch internationals Max O'Dowd, Aryan Dutt, Tim Pringle, Kyle Klein, alongside Irish all-rounder Curtis Campher and Jordan Neill were selected by the Flames during the draft.[12]
Current squad
[edit]- Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| Name | Nat. | Batting style | Bowling style | Year signed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | |||||
| Steve Smith |  Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm leg spin | 2026 | |
| Tim David | Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | |
| Max O'Dowd |  Netherlands |
Right-handed | 2026 | ||
| Ajinkya Rahane |  India |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | |
| Yuvraj Samra |  Canada |
Right-handed | 2026 | ||
| All-rounders | |||||
| Mitchell Marsh (c) | Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2026 | |
| Michael Bracewell |  New Zealand |
Left-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | |
| Curtis Campher |  Ireland |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | 2026 | |
| Dipendra Singh Airee |  Nepal |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | |
| Bas de Leede | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2026 | |
| Aryan Dutt | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | 2026 | |
| Tim Pringle | Netherlands |
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2026 | |
| Wicket-keeper | |||||
| Scott Edwards (wk) | Netherlands |
Right-handed | 2026 | ||
| Bowlers | |||||
| Richard Gleeson |  England |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast | 2026 | |
| Ali Hassan |  Italy |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | 2026 | |
| Kyle Klein | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | 2026 | |
| Jordan Neill | Ireland |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | 2026 | |
| David Payne | England |
Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | 2026 | |
Administration and support staff
[edit]| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Co-owner & chief officer | Steve Waugh[5] |
| Co-owner | Jamie Dwyer[8] |
| Co-owner | Tim Thomas[1] |
| Head coach | Ryan Cook[5] |
| Assistant coach | JP Duminy |
| Assistant coach | John Davison |
| Captain | Mitchell Marsh[6] |
Seasons
[edit]Summaries
[edit]| Season | W–L | Pos. | Finals | Coach | Captain | Most runs | Most wickets | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6–3 | 2nd | Q | Ryan Cook | Scott Edwards | Bas de Leede (320) | Michael Bracewell (19) | [30] |
Tournament finishes
[edit]| Year | League standing | Final standing |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2nd out of 6 | Qualifier |
- C: Champions
- RU: Runner-up
- Q: Team qualified for the Playoffs stage of the competition
Statistics
[edit]| Year | Played | Wins | Losses | Tied/NR[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ NR indicates "no result"; abandoned matches are indicated as no result.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Smith, Marsh to play in new Europe-based T20 league". Cricinfo. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Inaugural edition of ETPL to start on August 26". Cricbuzz. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 franchise league to begin on August 26". Hindustan Times. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Waugh invests in European T20 Premier League". BBC Sport. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Steve Waugh wanted a tougher challenge. This new job delivers". The Australian Financial Review. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Waugh signs Smith, Marsh for Amsterdam in new T20 comp". Cricket Australia. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Inaugural Euro T20 Slam cancelled at two weeks' notice". ESPN. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Jamie Dwyer". Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Inaugural European T20 Premier League postponed to 2026". Cricbuzz. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Euro T20 league backed by Bollywood to be postponed". BBC Sport. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Ajinkya Rahane signs with Amsterdam Flames in ETPL". Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- 1 2 "ETPL 2026 Player Draft: Full Squads, Salaries & Draft Picks". SportsPinch. 7 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 Premier League: All you need to know". Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Faf du Plessis Leads Rotterdam Dockers to Five-Wicket Victory in ETPL's Dutch Derby Opener". ETPL. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ Sensarma, Abhijato (27 August 2026). "Roelof and Faf, journeyman and jetsetter, and European cricket's new normal". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Amsterdam Flames and Edinburgh Castle Rockers Share Points". Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Five Overs of Fury as Belfast Wolves Get Past Amsterdam Flames". ETPL. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
- ↑ "Samra Leads the Way as Flames Storm to First ETPL Victory". Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
- ↑ "Flames Hold Their Nerve to Edge Guardians in Nine-Run Thriller". ETPL. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Flames Firepower Seals Eight-Wicket Win Over Dockers". ETPL. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Malahide Bound: The ETPL Enters Its Next Chapter". Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ "Belfast Wolves Clinch Crucial Victory in Malahide". etpl. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "Flames end Rockers' unbeaten run with emphatic eight-wicket win". etpl. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
- ↑ "Campher Stars as Amsterdam Flames Set New ETPL Benchmark". ETPL. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ "Amsterdam Flames Close League Campaign with Crucial Win". ETPL. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ "Glenn Maxwell Leads Belfast Wolves into ETPL Final with Seven-Wicket Qualifier Win". ETPL. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- ↑ "Glenn Maxwell leads by example as captain fires Belfast Wolves into inaugural European T20 Premier League final". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ "Bas de Leede". Durham Cricket. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 Premier League — Player Registration Circular". Royal Dutch Cricket Association. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 Premier League, 2026 – Stats and Records". Cricinfo.