Mitchell Marsh pulls out of ETPL, Scott Edwards named captain

The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) begins its inaugural season on August 26. There have been some big names that have signed for the first edition of the tournament, which is set to take place in the Netherlands and Ireland. Ahead of the start of the tournament, Amsterdam Flames will miss their announced captain, Mitchell Marsh.

Amsterdam Flames is one of the league's six original franchises. Jamie Dwyer, Australian businessman Tim Thomas, and former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh own the Flames.

It has announced Ryan Cook as the head coach, and Mitchell Marsh, who was announced as the leader for the side for the first edition, has opted out of the tournament.

Mitchell Marsh has opted out of the tournament to focus on Australia’s upcoming white-ball series against Zimbabwe and South Africa.

He has been a key part of the white-ball setup for the Kangaroos, as he is the captain of the T20I side. He opens the innings in ODIs as well and will be crucial as Australia tours in Africa.

Scott Edwards, captain of the Netherlands National Cricket Team, will take charge of the team now that Marsh isn't available.

Edwards has performed admirably for the Dutch team in recent times and is also captain of the T20I team. Despite his lack of experience, Ajinkya Rahane will provide him with solid support.

There have been some big names that have been signed for the franchise: former Australia captain Steve Smith, hard-hitting batter Tim David, Michael Bracewell, David Payne, and Richard Gleeson.

The ETPL is a cross-border franchise T20 competition managed by the cricket boards of Ireland and Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.

The league has six teams, in the form of Amsterdam Flames, Belfast Wolves, Dublin Guardians, Edinburgh Castle Rockers, Glasgow Cosmic, and Rotterdam Dockers.

The ETPL is scheduled to begin on August 26 with 30 league games, a qualifier on September 19 and Final on September 20.