“We just need a stage. The ETPL has given a real opportunity to showcase how good the Associate game is”: Veteran Scottish all-rounder Michael Leask   

For much of his international career, Michael Leask has been one of the leading figures in Associate cricket. From representing Scotland on the biggest of ICC stages to delivering match-winning performances against Full Member nations, Leask has long believed that the talent across Associate cricket has never been the issue.

Opportunity has.

Now, as the 35-year-old Scottish all-rounder prepares to represent Glasgow Cosmic in the inaugural ETPL, Leask believes the tournament offers exactly the platform players across Europe have been waiting for.

The ETPL will bring together cricketers from Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands alongside emerging stars from countries including Italy, USA, Canada and Portugal, while also attracting overseas professionals from across the global game. For Leask, that diversity is one of the league’s greatest strengths.

“You are 100% right there,” Leask said when asked about players from emerging cricketing nations finally getting the opportunity to compete on the same stage. The Scottish all-rounder pointed to Italy’s recent rise on the international stage as proof that quality already exists throughout Associate cricket.

“You saw on the big stage with a few of the Italians, especially Ben Manenti. He’s with Rotterdam (Dockers), and certainly he proved on the big stage with the bat that he’s up there with one of the best,” Leask who came up the ranks of Scotland’s age-group cricket from the u-13 stage onwards, further said.

Leask also highlighted the calibre of players spread across the ETPL franchises. Glasgow Cosmic have secured the services of long time Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus, while Leask will share a dressing room with Portuguese international Moises Henriques. Also in the competition, experienced Associate stars such as Shubham Ranjane and Ali Khan add further quality to an already impressive player pool.

“We have got Moises Henriques on our side, who’s a proven match winner. Gerhard Erasmus, who’s been Namibia captain for as long as I can remember, is another proven match winner getting an opportunity with Glasgow as well. There are so many more big Associate names. Shubham Ranjane, Ali Khan for ourselves as well”

Rather than viewing those players as exceptions, Leask believes they represent the depth that has existed within Associate cricket for years. What has often been missing is a consistent platform capable of bringing that talent together.

Throughout recent ICC tournaments, Associate nations have repeatedly shown they can challenge and defeat established international sides. Italy’s qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Namibia’s consistent rise, Scotland’s memorable victories over Full Members and the Netherlands’ success on the global stage have all  reinforced the narrowing gap between cricket’s traditional powers and its emerging nations.

For Leask, the ETPL is another important step in that evolution. “It just showcases how good the Associate game is. We just need an opportunity to have a showcase, a stage to do so”

That, in many ways, captures the broader ambition of the European T20 Premier League. Beyond creating another franchise competition, the league aims to provide meaningful opportunities for players who have consistently demonstrated their ability but have often lacked regular exposure at the highest level.

Leask believes the benefits will extend far beyond a single tournament.

“I think the ETPL has given, certainly the European guys who’ve been picked up for other teams, a real opportunity to showcase how good the Associate game is. Going forward, it’s only going to get better, given more opportunities that we can get”

As Glasgow Cosmic prepare for the inaugural season, Leask sees more than a new chapter in franchise cricket. He sees a league capable of changing perceptions, creating opportunities and proving that Europe’s finest cricketers belong on the biggest stages.

For Associate cricket, the spotlight has arrived.