‘The pedigree is there’, Faf du Plessis excited by top overseas talent at ETPL

The ETPL is making major waves across global cricket with five out of six franchises announced and a host of global superstars who have confirmed their participation in the competition.

To join ETPL as a player was a decision sparked by the quality of talent that had signed up to play the league in the first unveiling of three franchise in January, said Faf du Plessis, the co-owner and the captain of the Rotterdam franchise, “You first go, what's this [ETPL] about? Then you look. Oh, these are the guys that are going to play," Du Plessis said.

"You look at your Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Tim David... it's the guys like that. And you go, yes, the pedigree of players, myself Heinrich Klaasen. It's the cream of the crop overseas players that you see in the top leagues in the world. It's the opportunity of now you're going to a place that is in its infant stage. It's starting off. It's fresh. No one really has taken over that market in terms of the potential that it has. So you want to be a part of that journey.”

That statement tells you everything about the man's competitive wiring. Most veterans of his stature would look at Europe and see a region where cricket has long played second fiddle to football, cycling, and a dozen other pastimes. Faf looks at the same continent and sees a blank canvas, and more dangerously for his rivals, an opportunity.

He describes the process of engaging with the ETPL with almost childlike excitement, the kind that is recognisable in anyone who has ever truly loved a sport. You look at the players. You see the pedigree with names like Smith, Marsh, David, Klaasen and Mitchell Santner that elite standard drives him, even before the first ball is bowled.

If this is the level of motivation felt by a modern day T20 legend, imagine the opportunity it presents to the talent currently playing in Europe who will get the exposure and opportunity to play alongside and against the best of the best. The overseas players in the league will provide a platform for associate and local players to elevate their performance levels.

Tim David is one of the most sought after players in franchise leagues known for his power-hitting, he has tasted success in leagues across the world, Steve Smith is one of the finest players of our generation and a T20 World Cup winner in 2021 alongside his Australian and ETPL captain Mitch Marsh.

The ETPL is something no academy can replicate: a live, high-stakes classroom where local heroes are forged.