Euro T20 Slam and European Cricket League

big_e

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It's an interesting story, and worth listening to the full podcast available here:



Short version is a guy played A grade district cricket in Perth before making truckloads of cash in tech amd hedge funds, found himself in Germany, realised there was demand for cricket, and then telecast cricket, and decides to make a go of it.

And the thinking behind a champions league format is simply that that's a format that Europeans understand.

But have a listen, it's quite interesting.

He's also kept for Germany at the recent European T20 qualifier.
 

Bareth Garry

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Had the day off work and spent the day sitting and watching two games. Give me this kind of cricket where it's honest and enthusiastic to the end as ordinary blokes who love cricket and represent their club and cricket in their country, over the same old professional T20 franchise leagues with the same old players and the same old gimmicks.
 

The Passenger

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I have seen this ECL spinning up news feeds all over the net, but I can't understand how an event like this is being telecast and getting the attention it is? There are some really good cricketers out of the European nations, particularly in the Netherlands (and the Dutch team in this tournament does have a few players with ODI experience), so why aren't we seeing these guys? It's also intriguing that Ireland and Scotland didn't have teams in this tournament?

I have no problem with this tournament being played, and in fact totally encourage it to take place. Every sport has to start somewhere when expanding into new regions. But I'm not sure it being beamed across the world is the best promotion - just look at the ridicule Pavel Florin is copping, although he does seem to be taking it well. I love seeing guys come into the game and learning it, but I wouldn't expect them to be playing in competitions that are live broadcast all across the world, and then have it promoted as "the pinnacle of European cricket" (exactly the reference I heard from the commentator). I don't think that is fair on these guys.

As an equivalent, I've been following from a distance the Australian Rules leagues that have sprung up in Europe and they too have a Champions League and various other European wide competitions. It's fantastic to see the game spreading, but it's clearly guys learning to play the game. I wouldn't put them in a position where those games are broadcast live back to Australia, and then promoted as if they are a high standard. Again, it wouldn't be fair on the players.
 
I have seen this ECL spinning up news feeds all over the net, but I can't understand how an event like this is being telecast and getting the attention it is? There are some really good cricketers out of the European nations, particularly in the Netherlands (and the Dutch team in this tournament does have a few players with ODI experience), so why aren't we seeing these guys? It's also intriguing that Ireland and Scotland didn't have teams in this tournament?

I have no problem with this tournament being played, and in fact totally encourage it to take place. Every sport has to start somewhere when expanding into new regions. But I'm not sure it being beamed across the world is the best promotion - just look at the ridicule Pavel Florin is copping, although he does seem to be taking it well. I love seeing guys come into the game and learning it, but I wouldn't expect them to be playing in competitions that are live broadcast all across the world, and then have it promoted as "the pinnacle of European cricket" (exactly the reference I heard from the commentator). I don't think that is fair on these guys.

As an equivalent, I've been following from a distance the Australian Rules leagues that have sprung up in Europe and they too have a Champions League and various other European wide competitions. It's fantastic to see the game spreading, but it's clearly guys learning to play the game. I wouldn't put them in a position where those games are broadcast live back to Australia, and then promoted as if they are a high standard. Again, it wouldn't be fair on the players.

The telecast rights situation is pretty simple, actually: it's the brainchild of a Australian cricketer/hedge fund manager who moved to Germany and ran a facebook page for German cricket that got over a million followers, and the guys behind the UEFA Champions League who were looking for a new sport to promote. The latter know their stuff when it comes to television, and the former had quickly developed his online streaming.


As someone pointed out, no-one has been talking about Romanian cricket before, and now you've got the likes of Shane Warne saying that he wouldn't mind helping out with next year's tournament (whatever that's worth). News websites are popping up with articles about Pavel Florin and the European Cricket League, giving them a great opportunity to explain the tournament. What more could they want?

You can't get better promotion than putting it on television, and they've designed it as a grassroots event by inviting actual clubs with long histories, which they hope will incentivise local governments to get involved with the clubs participating, resulting in money being given to the clubs and attention from people who may never have heard of the sport before, as well as engaging with long-untapped migrant communities. Europe is the one continent wherea continent-wide club competition could really work to grow the game.
 

The Passenger

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The telecast rights situation is pretty simple, actually: it's the brainchild of a Australian cricketer/hedge fund manager who moved to Germany and ran a facebook page for German cricket that got over a million followers, and the guys behind the UEFA Champions League who were looking for a new sport to promote. The latter know their stuff when it comes to television, and the former had quickly developed his online streaming.


As someone pointed out, no-one has been talking about Romanian cricket before, and now you've got the likes of Shane Warne saying that he wouldn't mind helping out with next year's tournament (whatever that's worth). News websites are popping up with articles about Pavel Florin and the European Cricket League, giving them a great opportunity to explain the tournament. What more could they want?

You can't get better promotion than putting it on television, and they've designed it as a grassroots event by inviting actual clubs with long histories, which they hope will incentivise local governments to get involved with the clubs participating, resulting in money being given to the clubs and attention from people who may never have heard of the sport before, as well as engaging with long-untapped migrant communities. Europe is the one continent wherea continent-wide club competition could really work to grow the game.
Yes I had seen Daniel Weston's name pop up. Like I said, no problems with these sort of tournaments. Not convinced the way it is being promoted and broadcast is the best thing for these guys or the game. Being on TV is great for now and it is getting a bit of interest at the moment, but what happens when people's interest fade as inevitably happens?

I would've thought something akin to the recent T20 European Region tournament would have been more suitable for this sort of promotion.
 
Yes I had seen Daniel Weston's name pop up. Like I said, no problems with these sort of tournaments. Not convinced the way it is being promoted and broadcast is the best thing for these guys or the game. Being on TV is great for now and it is getting a bit of interest at the moment, but what happens when people's interest fade as inevitably happens?

I would've thought something akin to the recent T20 European Region tournament would have been more suitable for this sort of promotion.

That's certainly the logic of the folks behind the Euro T20 Slam, which will be starting up soon. It's interesting that they're happening so close to each other, given that they are taking completely different approaches to the idea of what will grow the game.

The ECL is banking on that interest not fading where it matters: in the countries and cities these clubs are from. The T20 Slam, on the other hand, is banking on foreign interest drumming up support.
 

big_e

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Yes I had seen Daniel Weston's name pop up. Like I said, no problems with these sort of tournaments. Not convinced the way it is being promoted and broadcast is the best thing for these guys or the game. Being on TV is great for now and it is getting a bit of interest at the moment, but what happens when people's interest fade as inevitably happens?

I would've thought something akin to the recent T20 European Region tournament would have been more suitable for this sort of promotion.
But showing the Euro regional qualifiers would require some effort on the part of the ICC and unless they can get an Indian side in there, they won't bother.
 

The Passenger

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But showing the Euro regional qualifiers would require some effort on the part of the ICC and unless they can get an Indian side in there, they won't bother.
Unfortunately the state of play in world cricket. Such a shame.
 

corbies

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Euro T20 Slam cancelled two weeks before it was supposed to start. The organisers - who also run the Canadian one - don't seem to have any money.
 
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Blue Arrow

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The Indian bookies must be crushed learning this is cancelled.
 
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