EUT20 Belgium
Professional T20 cricket league in Belgium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The EUT20 Belgium is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Belgium, organised by Destino Legends Sports LLC in partnership with Belgian Cricket Federation.[1][2] Established in 2025, the league was created to professionalize the sport in mainland Europe [3][4] and provide a high-performance platform for local Belgian talent to compete alongside global international stars.[5][6]
| |
| Countries | Belgium |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Belgian Cricket Federation Destino Legends Sports LLC |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First edition | 2026 |
| Next edition | 2027 |
| Tournament format | Round-robin and playoffs |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| TV | List of broadcasters |
| Website | Official Website |
The league features five franchise teams representing major Belgian cities.[7][8] The inaugural season is scheduled to take place in Brussels from 6 to 14 June 2026.[9][10]
Background and history
Cricket in Belgium has historically been an Associate-level sport with a growing grassroots base.[11] In October 2025, following the success of franchise models globally, Cricket Belgium signed a long-term agreement with Destino Legends Sports LLC to launch a premier franchise competition.[12]
Unlike previous domestic tournaments, EUT20 was designed as a hub for European cricket, utilizing Belgium's central geographic location to attract players from both Full Member and Associate nations.[5] Former England World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan was appointed as the Global Brand Ambassador to provide international credibility and strategic oversight.[13][14]
Foundation of EUT20 Belgium
In late 2025, the league invited international investors for franchise ownership.[5] Six cities were selected based on their sporting infrastructure and local cricket communities: Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Leuven, and Liege.[9][3] However, one of the originally planned franchise team from Leuven was not announced by EUT20 Belgium for reasons that are not yet known, and also did not participate in the player draft held on 24 March 2026.
The league's primary mission is the (2 - 4 - 4 - 6) development model, which mandates the inclusion of local Belgian players in every starting XI to ensure the long-term growth of the Belgium national cricket team.[15]
Tournament format
The EUT20 Belgium follows a franchise T20 format:[16]
- League Stage: A single round-robin format in which the five teams play each other once, resulting in a total of 10 matches. After the league stage, the teams placed fourth and fifth play an additional classification match.
- Super 4 Stage: The top four teams from the league stage advance to the Super 4 stage, while the fifth-placed team is eliminated. The Super 4 stage is played in a single round-robin format, in which each team plays the other three once, resulting in a total of 6 matches. The top two teams in the Super 4 points table qualify for the final, while the remaining two teams are eliminated.
- Final: The top two teams from the Super 4 stage compete in the final to determine the champion of the tournament.
Player acquisition
Teams acquire players through a centralized player draft. Each 18-member squad must follow strict roster requirements:[5]
Teams
The league comprises five franchises based in major urban centers across Belgium.[18]
| Team | City | Debut | Captain | Head coach | Owner(s) | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akcel United Brussels | Brussels, Brussels-Capital | 2026 | TBD | Mark Boucher[19] | Akcel Group | [20] | |
| Antwerp Anchors | Antwerp, Antwerp Province | TBD | Donovan Miller[21] | Anchor Sports & Zaheer Khan | [22],[23] | ||
| Ghent Gladiators | Ghent, East Flanders | TBD | Jonathan Trott[24] | TraWenture LLC, Haspex Co WLL & Irfan Pathan | [25],[26] | ||
| JB Bruges | Bruges, West Flanders | TBD | Shivnarine Chanderpaul[27] | Dream Sports | [28],[29] | ||
| Liège Red Lions | Liège, Liège Province | Faf du Plessis[30] | Herschelle Gibbs[31] | Tez Sports & US Consortium | [32],[33] | ||
Finals
| Season | Final | Player of the season | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Result | Runner-up | Venue | ||
| 2026 | To be played | Stars Arena, Zemst | TBD | ||
Performance by team
Seasons
| Season (No. of teams) |
2026 (5) |
|---|---|
| Akcel United Brussels | TBD |
| Antwerp Anchors | TBD |
| Ghent Gladiators | TBD |
| JB Bruges | TBD |
| Liège Red Lions | TBD |
- Teams have been listed alphabetically.
- C: Champions
- RU: Runner-up
- PO: Team qualified for the playoff stage of the competition
All time standings
| Teams | Appearances | Best result | Statistics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | First | Latest | Played | Won | Lost | NR | Win% | ||
| Akcel United Brussels | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Antwerp Anchors | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |||
| Ghent Gladiators | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |||
| JB Bruges | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |||
| Liège Red Lions | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |||