01|05|2026

by Scent Senti

Former South African captain Faf du Plessis, along with Proteas legend Jonty Rhodes and one of the must-see players in world cricket, Heinrich Klaasen, are joined by Madhukar Shree as managing partner in owning a cricket franchise that will participate in the European T20 Premier League. The franchise will call Hazelaarweg in Rotterdam, the Netherlands' second-biggest city, their home, and it will be named Rotterdam Dockers.

 

Shree's role in the Dockers will be to use his extensive sports business administration expertise to ensure the franchise operates professionally and efficiently, especially off the field.

 

With du Plessis still playing at the age of 42, he is likely to captain the side for at least the first two seasons of the competition before taking a role in the boardroom or backroom staff. The former South African captain has played in 50 T20 international matches for South Africa and almost 450 T20 matches in his career, representing Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Joburg Super Kings, Texas Super Kings, Momentum Titans, and more, but this will be his first taste not just as the leader of the dressing room, but as co-owner of a franchise.

 

"It's special to join Jonty and Klassy in acquiring a franchise in the ETPL. This is my first step into team ownership, and the timing couldn't be better with European cricket gaining real momentum. Having experienced franchise leagues across the world, I see immense potential in what the ETPL is building. I'm looking forward to contributing both on and off the field and helping shape a strong cricketing culture within our team," said du Plessis.

 

Rhodes is viewed as the father of modern-day fielding, and his co-owners in du Plessis and Klaasen have definitely taken from Rhodes' teachings. Since retiring from international cricket in 2003, he went into coaching, specializing in fielding. As a head coach, he coached Sweden briefly, which gave him a taste of the European cricket ecosystem. Rhodes represented South Africa from 1992 to 2003, and his most famous moments would probably be the run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq and the one-handed catch of Robert Croft at the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

 

"The ETPL presents a compelling opportunity. We've already seen glimpses of Europe's cricketing potential on the global stage, especially at recent ICC events. What the region now needs is a strong commercial framework to unify and elevate this ecosystem. The ETPL offers exactly that, creating pathways to identify, nurture, and scale talent, and ultimately strengthening the game across Europe. I'm excited to be part of this journey," Rhodes said.

 

The Dockers will definitely have a huge South African feel, which is ironic because Dutch culture has had a major influence on modern-day South African culture due to colonialism and European expansion into South Africa. This time around, modern-day South African culture will influence the Netherlands through cricket.

 

Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) CEO, Huib van Walsem, commented: "The arrival of Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, and Heinrich Klaasen as franchise owners in Rotterdam marks an encouraging development for cricket in the Netherlands. At KNCB, we have long believed in the immense potential of the Dutch cricketing ecosystem, and the involvement of such experienced cricket figures will bring both competitive cricket and attract quality talent to the region. It is a positive moment for us and an opportunity to support the continued growth of the sport, strengthen grassroots development, create clearer pathways for young players, and further develop cricket across the Netherlands."

 

This tournament will definitely get the world's cricket community's attention because it is a six-team tournament from three countries that are growing in world cricket. In order to grow the sport of cricket, they decided to work together, and the involvement of former and current players like 1999 and 2003 World Cup-winning captain Steve Waugh, Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum, and the "Universe Boss" Chris Gayle adds further credibility.

 

Having the involvement of Jamie Dwyer, the former Australian hockey player, with the Amsterdam franchise is brilliant in understanding that the Netherlands is the home of world hockey, and his involvement is a good way to connect with the local community.

 

Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin are also rumoured to acquire a franchise, and this will be great for attracting the Indian market. Dravid is a World Cup-winning coach and has coached extensively in the IPL. He was best known as "The Wall" in his playing days, which would probably not have been such a fitting nickname had he still been playing in this T20 era. Ashwin is one of the most successful spinners in modern cricket. Both names are hugely popular in the Indian market and are respected thinkers of the game. They are rumoured to own the Dublin-based franchise in the capital of Ireland.

 

The league is co-owned by a conglomerate made up of Abhishek Bachchan (leading Indian film star and multi-sport franchise owner), Saurav Banerjee (former Co-CEO of NDTV and Partner at Kalaari Capital), Priyanka Kaul (former CEO of Forbes), and Dhiraj Malhotra (former CEO of Delhi Capitals and former GM of BCCI).