Bash Bros headline Euro tournament

Recently-departed KFC BBL stars Shane Watson and Brendon McCullum will headline a cross-continent European T20 tournament later this year.

The inaugural Euro T20 Slam will be staged in the Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland in late August and September, with six teams to play 33 matches, including the final on September 22.

Watson, who announced last week he won’t return to captain the Sydney Thunder next summer, has been named one of three icon players alongside former Brisbane Heat skipper McCullum and Adelaide’s Afghan superstar Rashid Khan.

McCullum’s long-time Heat teammate, Aussie Chris Lynn, was one of three marquee players announced, along with Pakistan batsman Babar Azam and former Black Caps wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi.

The tournament will feature the Dublin Chiefs, Belfast Titans, Glasgow Giants, Edinburgh Rocks, Amsterdam Kings and Rotterdam Rhinos, with matches to be played in Edinburgh, Malahide (outside Dublin) and Amstelveen, near Amsterdam.

Each team will be able to field a maximum of five international players in their side, more than the IPL (four) and BBL (two) allows.

None of the Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands will be part of this year’s World Cup and former Pakistan quick Wasim Akram, a member of the tournament’s Advisory Committee, says the tournament will be a boost to the game in those countries.

"These teams should now be able to come up to the international standards because they hardly play the big teams, and even when they do, it is one off," Akram told Cricbuzz.

"Now these teams will have six of their own players and five international players.

"They will be here for a month, so spending time with them during the training, going for practice sessions, drills. It should help their confidence."