Amsterdam Flames
| Nickname | The Flames | |
|---|---|---|
| League | European T20 Premier League | |
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Mitchell Marsh | |
| Coach | Ryan Cook | |
| Owner | Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer, Tim Thomas | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
| Colours | Orange, Black, White | |
| Founded | 21 January 2026 | |
| History | ||
| ETPL wins | 0 | |
| Official website | amsterdamflames.com | |
| ||
 2026 Amsterdam Flames season | ||
The Amsterdam Flames are a professional Twenty20 cricket franchise 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 Australia Former Cricketer Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer and Australian businessman Tim Thomas.[5] The team is coached by Ryan cock 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 ESPNcricinfo, 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]
Player recruitment
[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.[11][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]
Draft strategy
[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.[12] The Amsterdam Flames entered the draft with an already formidable core of international stars and prioritised adaptable all-rounders to complement their overseas signings, with Waugh noting that coach Ryan Cook was "really focused on—players who are adaptable and can play different roles."[5]
2026: Inaugural season
[edit]Current squad
[edit]- Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| Name | Nat. | Batting Style | Bowling Style | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||
| Steve Smith |  Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm leg spin | Batter |
| Tim David | Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | Batter |
| Max O'Dowd |  Netherlands |
Right-handed | Batter | |
| Yuvraj Samra |  Canada |
Right-handed | Batter | |
| All-rounders | ||||
| Mitchell Marsh (c) | Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | All-rounder |
| Michael Bracewell |  New Zealand |
Left-handed | Right-arm off break | All-rounder |
| Curtis Campher |  Ireland |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | All-rounder |
| Dipendra Singh Airee |  Nepal |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | All-rounder |
| Bas de Leede | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | All-rounder |
| Aryan Dutt | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | All-rounder |
| Tim Pringle | Netherlands |
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | All-rounder |
| Wicket-keeper | ||||
| Scott Edwards (wk) | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Wicket-keeper | |
| Bowlers | ||||
| Richard Gleeson |  England |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Bowler |
| Ali Hassan |  Italy |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | Bowler |
| Kyle Klein | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | Bowler |
| Jordan Neill | Ireland |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | Bowler |
| David Payne | England |
Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | Bowler |
Administration and support staff
[edit]| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ryan Cook |
| Assistant Coach | JP Duminy |
| Assistant Coach | John Davison |
| Co-owner & Chief Cricket Officer | Steve Waugh |
| Co-owner | Jamie Dwyer |
| Co-owner | Tim Thomas |
- Source :Support staff
Seasons
[edit]Summaries
[edit]| Season | W–L | Pos. | Finals | Coach | Captain | Most Runs | Most Wickets | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Tournament finishes
[edit]| Year | League standing | Final standing |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ||
- C: Champions
- RU: Runner-up
- SF: Team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition
Statistics
[edit]| Year | Played | Wins | Losses | Tied/NR[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Notes
[edit]- ↑ NR indicates "no result"; abandoned matches are indicated as no result.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Smith, Marsh to play in new Europe-based T20 league". ESPNcricinfo. 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 "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 "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Bas de Leede". Durham Cricket. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 Premier League — Player Registration Circular". Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB). 16 June 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
