“George Munsey really stepped up as a leader”: Matthew Hayden recalls the Glasgow Cosmic team’s ETPL Player Draft experience

The European T20 Premier League Player Draft was a fast and furious affair, but for the franchises, it was the culmination of weeks of planning, research and countless conversations. Every selection had to fit into a larger picture, with teams balancing their pre-signed overseas stars against the best available talent from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.

That preparation extended well beyond identifying individual players.

With the franchise's overseas and affiliate players already secured before draft day, the Glasgow Cosmic team's focus shifted towards finding the right local talent to complement an established roster of prime T20 talent. Team Co-Owner and Head Coach, Matthew Hayden revealed that one of the key figures behind that planning was the franchise's lead statistician, whose detailed analysis helped shape the entire draft strategy.

"Our premier statistician was a really important one because what he was able to deliver to us was a whole-of-squad strategy. We already had our overseas players assigned, so we had a very good idea of what we wanted before we got the luck of how we got them," Hayden told us.

The result was an extremely clear draft philosophy. While every ETPL team invested heavily in regional talent, Glasgow placed particular emphasis on Scottish cricket, selecting Brad Currie, Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson and Chris McBride from the Scottish pool. Their only non-Scottish pick was Dutch star, Paul van Meekeren. The selections reflected both the franchise's Scottish identity and its desire to surround proven international performers with players who understand local conditions.

Hayden was equally quick to acknowledge the influence of George Munsey, whose knowledge of Scottish cricket proved invaluable throughout the planning process. The Scotland international played an active role behind the scenes, helping identify the players who best suited Glasgow's vision while providing first-hand insight into the domestic game.

"George Munsey... really stepped up as a leader within our small back of house staff ahead of the auction (draft) to give us a heads up on the expectations he had with players and whom he really sought out from Scottish cricket. He did an excellent job," Hayden, who won two ICC World Cup trophies, with Australia, further said.

The draft itself, however, offered no guarantees.

Operating under a snake format meant franchises constantly had to adjust as players disappeared from the available list. Teams often found themselves abandoning carefully constructed plans when rivals selected their preferred targets first. Glasgow was sixth in the picking order, which meant they went last in the first round and then first in the second round and then again last in the third, and so on and so forth. 

For Glasgow, remarkably, everything fell into place, just the way they wanted. As the rounds unfolded, every player they had prioritised remained available when their turn arrived.

"There wasn't a moment during that auction (draft) where we looked at each other and went, 'What's our second option?' All of the guys that we picked, including Paul van Meekeren, were the people that we really wanted in the order of the auction," Hayden, who is also a celebrated home cook and the author of multiple bestselling cookbooks said.

Success in any player draft depends not only on preparation but also on timing, opportunity and a degree of fortune. Glasgow benefited from all three, allowing Hayden and the Glasgow management group to execute their strategy almost exactly as it had been drawn up weeks earlier.

The result is a squad built around continuity, local knowledge and clearly defined roles. By placing their faith in Scottish talent while complementing it with one of Dutch cricket's most experienced fast bowlers, the Cosmic team emerged from the inaugural ETPL Draft with a group that reflects both the franchise's identity and its long-term ambitions.

For Hayden, this might have been his first player draft experience, but the lesson was a familiar one. The best teams are rarely built by chance. They are built through meticulous preparation, trusting the right people and ensuring that when opportunity arrives, there is no hesitation in making the right choice.