'There is a lot of excitement' - Glenn Maxwell speaks highly of the future of ETPL ahead of maiden season

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has spoken highly of the future of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) ahead of its first edition. The six-team tournament is set to commence later this year, with each of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands having two sides each.

Maxwell will be representing the Irish Wolves, a Belfast-based outfit, where he is the co-owner and the captain. The right-handed batter believes that the brand new franchise league has a bright future, capable of attracting more overseas superstars in years to come. One of the main pulling factors of the league is the geographical location, where not many major cricketing nations come and play.

"I certainly see the league attract more and more global stars. To get this first year off and running will only be good for the interest around the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). We do not get a lot of opportunities to come and play in these parts of the world, especially coming from Australia so there is a lot of excitement around this competition and getting it off the ground so there will certainly be more and more international stars somewhere in the future," Glenn Maxwell said to WION.

As things stand, a host of international superstars are set to compete in the ETPL this year. These include the aforementioned Maxwell, along with Ravichandran Ashwin, Steve Smith, Finn Allen, Lungi Ngidi, Trent Boult, Heinrich Klassen and Faf du Plessis, to name a few.

Maxwell's side, the Irish Wolves, drafted Matthew Humphreys, Paul Stirling, Fred Klaassen, Tim Tector, Alexander Roy and Zainullah Ihsan in the 2026 Draft.

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Maxwell, meanwhile, is competing at the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) for the Washington Freedom, where he has had a disappointing start to the new season. In three matches, he has scored a mere seven runs, including two ducks, whilst taking just two wickets. The 37-year-old last represented Australia during the 2026 T20 World Cup, where the 2021 champions exited in the group stage.