Euro T20 league confident on 2027 and eye July window

The European T20 Premier League will definitely be back in 2027 but is set to be shifted to earlier in the summer in a bid to boost attendances, says tournament chief executive Warren Deutrom.

Matches during the group stage in Ireland were played out in a sparsely-populated Malahide, even when admission was free for certain games.

Edinburgh Castle Rockers beat Belfast Wolves by seven wickets to win the inaugural edition of the ETPL on Sunday in front of a larger crowd, but a number of the temporary seats were still vacant.

Crowds for the Dutch leg of the inaugural tournament in Voorburg were healthier, albeit in a much smaller venue.

Deutrom said the ETPL are already taking steps to move the tournament to a time of the year to coincide with the school holidays to help get more fans through the gates.

"I'm not worried about trying things in year one and if it wasn't successful, then we learn for year two," he told BBC Sport.

"One of the learnings would be in terms of window, and we are actively looking at an earlier slot, probably more likely July next year.

"The presence of the Ashes next summer is pushing the The Hundred later. And that means that we are trying to fit between Major League Cricket and The Hundred."

The ETPL have opted not to publish attendance figures although BBC Sport has asked how many were present at the final.

Deutrom said the "quality of cricket" during the ETPL was "high" and that it will help "close that performance gap" for Scottish, Irish and Dutch players.

He also addressed financial concerns over the sustainability of the ETPL.

BBC Sport understands the league itself paid broadcasters to televise it, while some of the franchise teams were unable to secure sponsors or sell merchandise.

Asked directly whether he could guarantee the ETPL would return next year, Deutrom replied "yes" and said franchise owners were taking a "long-term view" with their investment.

"The franchise agreements that we have are for 10 years and the owners and operators themselves aren't able to, for want of a better phrase, flip the ownership within a three-year period," he explained.

"We think that there's going to be a runway to profitability probably within year four to five. And no one was running away from that fact.

"We did quite a bit of work with the owners' own investors and the phrase that kept coming back, was the understanding for patient capital."

Deutrom also gave assurances that all players involved in the ETPL will be paid by their respective franchises.

"If there's any one of the measures that compromise the integrity of the league in its perception and credibility, not paying players is definitely one of those," said the former Cricket Ireland chief executive.

"We have been very strong with all of the franchises about ensuring that they respect that."

Bollywood actor and film producer Abhishek Bachchan is a part-owner of the ETPL in conjunction with Rules Sport Tech, a private Indian company.

The league is being run in collaboration with the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.

A women's ETPL is part of the strategy for the tournament and senior figures within the respective governing bodies are said to have emphasised a commitment to developing the concept.

However, it is understood this is not likely to materialise until the men's event becomes profitable so remains a distant prospect for the time being.