Euro T20 Slam postponement: "I put my county career on the line and missed out on exposure"

TASNEEM-SUMMER KHAN: Prashant Mishra, the Slam’s spokesperson, declared that a joint decision had been made by the competition’s board, funding partners and franchise owners, looking to the future success of the league

On Wednesday, the inaugural edition of the ambitious Euro T20 Slam was postponed a mere fortnight before the opening match. The news was broken by media and swiftly confirmed by the participating boards. Last to confirm was postponement was the Euro T20 Slam.

Prashant Mishra, the Slam’s spokesperson, stated a joint decision had been made by the competition’s board, funding partners and franchise owners, looking to the future success of the league.

The news follows the conclusion of the second year of the GT20 League, GS Holdings’ original Associate-partnered League.

The company behind both tournaments found themselves stretched thin, with financial obligations failing to be met, as well as operational hurdles within a diminishing time-frame; the Slam was to be stationed in multiple locations, a concept not tested in the GT20.

Rumours swirled in Canada that the Slam may not be ready for debut, with tickets yet to go on sale and broadcast arrangements remaining unannounced.

The news came as a shock to players and personnel, with respective boards taking control of the fallout. A spokesperson for Cricket Ireland stated today that the decision was made with the tournament’s best interests in mind, leaving them confident of continuation in 2020.

The spokesperson reiterated that the board was liaising with organizers, with more information to be released in the coming days.

Cricket Ireland had rearranged the Irish Senior Cup Final fixture between Waringstown and Pembroke in order to manage player availability for club fixtures and the Slam, evidencing efforts boards had taken to facilitate the competition.

^{Mark Ramprakash attended the player draft in July}

Cricket Scotland chief executive, Malcom Cannon, spoke further today about having no regrets regarding the ambitious undertaking.

“It was always going to be a big ask, but we wanted to launch off the back of the World Cup, which drove interest both in the region and globally,” he said.

“With a packed summer, it ended up being too little time between the GT20 and the Slam, particularly with a tournament between three countries and six teams, the most complicated of its nature.

“I think the interest generated, and indeed the disappointment in the tournament’s postponement has evidenced this was the right move. The appetite is there, the landscape is ready.

"There may be some relationships to repair, but the tournament and the intentions behind it have remained pure from all involved - this gives everyone another year to do the tournament justice. Our biggest responsibility now is preparing Scottish players for the upcoming World T20 Qualifiers in Dubai, which this tournament would have done much for."

The Euro T20 Slam was set to host internationals including Shahid Afridi, JP Duminy, Shane Watson, Mohammad Amir, Luke Wright, and Eoin Morgan among others, many of whom were not informed of the decision prior to media release.

Players remain understandably frustrated, with the likes of Rashid Khan and Chris Lynn having made themselves unavailable for the CPL.

However, the postponement comes as a significant blow to Ireland, Scotland and Netherland players considering the relative lack of league opportunity and broadcast time given to emerging cricket.

With the ICC having designated T20 as the format for development of the sport, the importance of T20 leagues has never been more significant for associates, considering relatively sparse Future Tours Programmes.

Paul van Meekeren, the Dutch bowler playing for the GT20-winning Winnipeg Hawks spoke today about the importance of the Euro Slam.

“For us associates, an opportunity to play against the big guys is vital,” he explained. “Every mistake is bigger, punished more. You have to learn on your feet, which is great for development. More exposure makes the associate game stronger.

^{Paul van Meekeren had been set to compete in the tournament}

“We found out with the press release that the tournament had been cancelled for this year. It’s just a shame. It would be great to make the Slam a success, and in the years to come, add Germany and Belgium, growing continental cricket.”

Referencing the qualification route for the 2020 T20 World Cup in which Scotland, the Netherlands and Ireland will compete in October, van Meekeren lamented the loss of the opportunity for younger players from the host nations.

“It's a shame as it would have been a chance for guys to put their hands up on the right platform. I know our board is busy with a high-performance programme for the qualifiers, but this would have been great preparation.”

Van Meekeren articulated frustration about the uncertainty involved for associates. “Somerset had to release me from my county duties [for the Slam]," he said.

"I put my county career on the line, and missed out on exposure. I took the risk of not trialing at a different club or playing on loan. But the Slam would have been such a great opportunity for me to show my skill set in the franchise world.

Notably, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) welcomed Scottish and Irish Cricketers’ Associations into the fold in 2017. However, there is still a dearth of union representation for Dutch Cricket.

FICA assisted players in obtaining outstanding remuneration for players for the 2009 Indian Cricket League cancellation, and recent events highlight the continued need for globalised professionalisation of the sport, particularly as it relates to the protection of emerging player interests.

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