The European Cricket Network (ECN) has announced a long-term partnership with the Turkish Cricket Federation. The agreement will see the Turkish domestic champion play in the European Cricket League (ECL) from 2022.
In a press release, European Cricket League founder Daniel Weston said ‘in dealing with Şenol Zobooğlu, Hasan Sabit Alta and their team to progress this agreement over past months, it’s clear that they care deeply for the development and growth of the game in Turkey. I am so excited about where they will take cricket in Turkey in years to come, and to also see the impact of the ECL on their domestic cricket in the coming seasons.’
‘I can see a genuine chance that Turkey has the potential to shock the cricket world, changing the landscape of summer sport in its own country forever.’
Şenol Zobooğlu, TCF International Coordinator, said: ‘The TCF is thrilled to join the growing family of ECL cricket countries in Europe and to give our beautiful game its deserved visibility. We are happy to start our journey with Daniel and his team. During our negotiations we were impressed by their professionalism and enthusiasm for the game, which gives us strong confidence in the success of the venture.’
‘I would like to thank all my fellow Board members, especially Hasan Sabit Alta, TCF Chairman for their dedication and time invested in preparations. We as the TCF Board will do all in our power to use this cooperation to boost domestic participation and to map out a clear future path for the younger generation of cricketers, hopefully attracting more and more native Turks to the game.’
The Turkish Cricket Federation becomes the 27th nation to partner with the ECN. The announcement follows the news that the ECL will expand to a 30-team tournament from 2022.
The 2021 European Cricket League will be a 16-team event, played between 31st May and 25th June. The competition will then expand to 30 teams from 29 nations the following year.
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