Du Plessis, Rhodes, Klaasen Unite for ETPL Team Ownership

South African cricket stars including Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes and Heinrich Klaasen have joined hands to co-own a franchise in the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL). The interesting thing is that Du Plessis and Klaasen will not just be the owners, but will also play for the team in the upcoming season.

"For me, the entry point was there's obviously a lot of leagues around the world, and as someone like myself, who is called a circuit player, as someone that can play in different leagues around the world, you want to make sure you align with the ones that are the best.” said Faf du Plessis.

“This really excited me around the opportunity of being part of something and growing something in a league that's starting fresh, in a tournament that's starting new, and then building something that is very South African.” added Faf du Plessis.

Du Plessis further added that he wants to share his experience with other players in the team, as that could help them to deliver a strong performance in the upcoming season.

"I want to use the experience that I've picked up around the world in terms of all the different leagues and just bringing that to build a team that's part of a tournament that's hopefully very successful and that can grow European cricket." said Faf du Plessis.

Meanwhile, legendary South African cricketer Jhonty Rhodes is also excited to be a part of the team. He said this franchise will be special, as it will add some South African flavor to the league.

"We saw the announcement of the first three teams, and there was a big Australian and New Zealand focus. So we've kind of come in now with a big South African focus as well, just to add a little bit of a needle in some of the games that we're going to be playing against the Aussies and the Kiwis. It's not just a four-week period, but how can we have a positive impact on cricket, not just in Rotterdam with our franchise, but Europe as a whole. So that's a huge focus for us as a franchise.” said Jhonty Rhodes.

"Rotterdam is the gateway to Europe. So anything that's coming in and out of Europe actually comes through Rotterdam. It's a real mix of cultures." added Jhonty Rhodes.