JOHANNESBURG: South African trio Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes and Heinrich Klaasen have formed a consortium to acquire the Rotterdam franchise in a new European Twenty20 league, organisers said on Thursday.

Former Proteas skipper Du Plessis will also lead the side in the inaugural season of the six-team European T20 Premier League (ETPL), which is set to run from Aug 26 to Sept 20 across six European cities.

“This is my first step into team ownership, and the timing couldn’t be better with European cricket gaining real momentum,” du Plessis said in a statement.

“Having experienced franchise leagues across the world, I see immense potential in what the ETPL is building. I’m looking forward to contributing both on and off the field and helping shape a strong cricketing culture within our team.”

Huib van Walsem, chief executive officer of the Dutch cricket association (KNCB), hailed the development as a major boost for cricket in the Netherlands.

“At KNCB, we have long believed in the immense potential of the Dutch cricketing ecosystem, and the involvement of such experienced cricket figures will bring both competitive cricket and attract quality talent to the region,” he said.

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh, compatriot Glenn Maxwell, New Zealanders Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum, and West Indies stalwart Chris Gayle are among the other co-owners in the T20 league. The event will also feature city-based franchises in Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Dublin and Belfast.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2026