ECA to launch Euro T20 Club Champions Trophy
The European Cricket Association (ECA) will launch the European Champions Trophy in 2026. It will be a T20I competition that brings together national club champions from across the continent.
The ECA, which held its annual conference last week in Istanbul, has asked member countries to submit hosting proposals by January 31, 2026. Final decisions are expected in February, the ECA said in a statement.
The ECA also acknowledged the commercial potential of the T10 format globally. "The ECA will explore the feasibility of introducing T10 events in 2026 to support member federations' financial sustainability. Recommendations by the Marketing Commission/Competition Commission will be presented at the Executive Committee meeting in Q1 2026," the ECA statement read.
Delegates from the 13-member national federations across the continent participated, and with quorum officially confirmed, the Congress proceeded as a fully valid and operational assembly, working through a full agenda that included governance elections, competition planning and regulatory updates.
In the elections, Gabriel Marin of Romania was elected as president while Yousuf Gilani of Norway has become the first vice-president. Gurumurty Palani (France), Mohammad Bilal Zalmani (Austria) and Indika Thilan Perera (Malta) have been elected as vice-presidents.
In accordance with Article 7 of the ECA Articles of Association, the Board expanded to its full 11-member structure. The newly elected board members are Nicolas Fournarakis (Greece), Nikolay Kolev (Bulgaria), Abdul Shakoor (Romania), Nahit Sahin (Turkiye), Sarah Gomersall (Jersey) and Luca Bruno Malaspina (Italy).
"The ECA has set up its internal governance structure for the next four years and established its long-term strategic objectives. It has outlined its core competition structure for the next three years, including the European Championships for men and women and, as a key strategic goal, the Under-19 European Championship.
"The Congress also underlined another critical objective-grassroots development and engaging local communities in promoting cricket, not only as a sport but also as a tool for education, integration and cohesion. We are looking forward to making the ECA a long-term success story in the European sporting landscape," ECA president Marin said.
