Sydney, Jan. 21 -- The first three franchises of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) were announced on Wednesday, with Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Belfast as the teams to join the competition starting from late summer this year.

The league is officially sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the team owners were also announced during a press conference in Sydney, staged against the iconic backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Amsterdam will be owned by a group led by Australian cricket great Steve Waugh, former Australian captain and World Cup-winning leader, alongside Australian hockey great Jamie Dwyer, five-time World Player of the Year and Olympic gold medallist, and Tim Thomas, former CEO of the...