ETPL 2026: Why Amsterdam Flames prioritized adaptable all-rounders in inaugural draft, explains Steve Waugh

Co-owner Steve Waugh revealed that the Amsterdam Flames deliberately prioritized versatile all-rounders over specialized batting depth in the inaugural ETPL 2026 draft. Waugh expressed complete confidence in the squad's balance, anchored by stars like Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith

New Delhi: Australian great Steve Waugh said versatility was the defining factor behind Amsterdam Flames’ selections in the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL) 2026 Player Draft, explaining that the franchise deliberately prioritised multi-skilled cricketers over loading up on specialist batters.

Amsterdam Flames entered the draft with an already formidable core featuring Australian T20I captain Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith and Tim David, alongside Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards. That allowed the franchise to focus on building balance around its established stars.

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The Flames used four of their six picks on all-rounders, led by Ireland international Curtis Campher. Speaking on whether adaptability had taken precedence over traditional batting depth, Waugh, who co-owns the franchise, made it clear that the strategy had been planned alongside head coach Ryan Cook.

“Yeah, we’ve got lots of all-rounders. That’s what Ryan Cook, the coach, was really focused on. Players that are adaptable, that can play different roles,” Waugh said while responding to an IANS query during a media interaction after the conclusion of the ETPL 2026 Player Draft.

The Flames made Curtis Campher their first draft selection before adding Kyle Klein, Tim Pringle, Aryan Dutt, Jordan Neill and Max O’Dowd across the remaining rounds. While the draft appeared to lean heavily towards all-rounders, Waugh insisted the squad already possesses ample batting firepower.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got some amazing players. There’s international players who are specialist batsmen. Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith and Tim David. I mean, they’re three outstanding players, probably three of the best batsmen in the world in T20 cricket,” he added.

Waugh also pointed to the franchise’s wider roster, highlighting players capable of contributing with the bat despite being classified as all-rounders.

“But we see a lot of these other players with multiple skills. I’ve been seeing Airee (Dipendra Singh Airee) from Nepal, excellent batsman, Curtis Campher. We’ve got lots of all-rounders. We’ve got lots of all-rounders. Yuvraj Samra from Canada is a specialist batsman. So we’ve got plenty of batsmen there,” he stated.

The former Australia captain believes having players who can seamlessly switch roles will prove decisive in the shortest format, particularly in a new competition expected to feature varied conditions across Europe.

“And we thought that the adaptability and versatility of the side, all-rounders are really, really important in T20 cricket. So we got the choices we wanted and we’re really happy with those all-rounders,” Waugh noted.

The Amsterdam Flames will enter the inaugural ETPL season with a squad built around proven international experience and emerging global talent, banking on flexibility as the cornerstone of their campaign.