By Vipul Kashyap

Darwin [Australia], August 12 (ANI): Matthew Hayden, who has joined Glasgow Cosmic as co-owner and Head Coach ahead of the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL) season, expressed confidence in the team's strong squad, which includes Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Jimmy Neesham, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi, alongside several other experienced players.

However, Hayden acknowledged that building the squad has been challenging. He said Phil Salt's withdrawal and several injuries created gaps, while international and domestic schedules, along with ICC regulations and No Objection Certificates (NOCs), made player availability difficult. Despite these challenges, he believes the team has assembled a competitive group for the inaugural ETPL season.

'I think the squad has some serious weapons. Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Jimmy Neesham, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi. Backed also by George Munsey, Richie Berrington, Matthew Cross, Paul van Meekeren, and Oliver Davidson. Moises Henriques, I think, as a seasoned campaigner, has been part of a really successful franchise for a long time in the Sydney Sixers back home in the Big Bash League. Ali Khan and Gerhard Erasmus give us really good flexibility. So, I guess whilst it's been a little tumultuous, I must admit, I think part of the leadership has been trying to find post-auction some new faces and new names that haven't - for example, Phil Salt, who was in our squad, pulled out of the tournament. So that left us some holes to fill, and there have been some injuries as well,' he told ANI.

'So, like every franchise, we have to fit in with the current schedule of international cricket, the current schedule of other boards around the world. As you know, we have to comply with all regulations to do with the ICC, including NOCs that need to be executed prior to commencement of this tournament. So, it hasn't all been plain sailing either. It's been, you know, a little tricky at times to find the right faces at the right times given the fact that players are busy with international program and domestic program,' he said.

Glasgow Cosmic, owned by Mugafi Group Chairman Vipul Agrawal and Tansha Batra, has strengthened its leadership setup with Hayden joining as co-owner and Head Coach, while Rashid Khan serves as the group's CEO.

Hayden said discussions with CEO Rashid Khan and the owners of Mugafi Group during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season led to his decision to join the inaugural tournament. He saw it as a valuable opportunity to contribute to cricket's growth in the region, particularly ahead of the Olympics, where the Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland are set to participate.

'During the IPL, I had a number of really good discussions with the CEO, Rashid Khan, and also the owners of Mugafi Group. And I guess in a world where there's never been a more challenging commercial landscape and ecosystem to cricket, it was another good opportunity to be a part of an inaugural tournament and in an area which desperately needs some really significant profile, especially ahead of key tournaments like the Olympics, where we know Netherlands, Scotland, and Ireland will all be participating. So that's the opportunity that presented itself,' Hayden said.

Hayden said the ETPL will differ significantly from the IPL because the two leagues emerged in very different circumstances. He said while the IPL was built on India's 2007 T20 World Cup success and operates in a dedicated window featuring the world's top players, Glasgow Cosmic faces a smaller cricketing ecosystem and must work around international and domestic schedules. Hayden said the franchise aims to establish its own identity by playing the 'Cosmic Way' while combining talented domestic and international players.

'Everything is different about the IPL. The IPL also started at a very different time in cricket. It started based on the strength of India winning a T20 tournament, a World Cup in South Africa for the first time in 2007, and then on the back of that the Premier League was formed with franchises that were full of superstars and the very best standards of cricket in a landscape and ecosystem of cricket which is second to none,' he said.

'When it comes to Glasgow Cosmic, we've got a very different set of parameters. We have a small cricketing community. We certainly want to establish our own identity within that tournament, playing the 'Cosmic Way.' And we also have some exceptionally talented cricketers, both domestically and internationally. But there can be no refuting that the IPL is a tournament that stops the cricketing program, and that is amongst every membership and associate membership nation. The IPL is a carve-out window, and it makes it very different for us, as a non-carve-out window, to compete with a competition like the IPL. Not that we're trying, but you get my point,' Hayden said.

The inaugural edition of the ETPL will take place from August 26 to September 20, 2026, featuring six franchises representing Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, and Rotterdam, competing in 33 matches. (ANI)