Glasgow Cosmic

Glasgow Cosmic
Glasgow Cosmic cricket team logo
Official logo of Glasgow Cosmic
NicknameThe Cosmic
LeagueEuropean T20 Premier League
Personnel
CaptainGeorge Munsey
CoachMatthew Hayden
OwnerMatthew Hayden, Tansha Batra, Mugafi Group
Team information
CityGlasgow, Scotland
ColoursDark Navy, Cyan, Bright Royal Blue, White
       
Founded20 April 2026 (2026-04-20)
History
ETPL wins0
Official websiteglasgowcosmic.com
2026 Glasgow Cosmic season

The Glasgow Cosmic are a professional Twenty20 cricket franchise based in Glasgow, Scotland.[1] The team competes in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).

The Cosmic were announced as one of the league's six inaugural franchises on 20 April 2026,[2] and represent Scotland in the ETPL alongside the Edinburgh Castle Rockers.[3][4][1]

The franchise is owned by a consortium consisting of former Australian opening batter Matthew Hayden, Indian businesswoman Tansha Batra, and the Mugafi Group, an India-based entertainment and sports business.[5][6][7]

The franchise was initially introduced under the name "Glasgow Mugafians," with West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle announced as part of the ownership group.[2] Gayle subsequently exited the franchise, with Hayden replacing him as co-owner ahead of the inaugural season.[5][7][8]

History

Formation

The Glasgow Cosmic were established as part of the inaugural European T20 Premier League, a competition first conceived in 2019 by the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.[1][9][10] The franchise was officially unveiled on 20 April 2026 at an event in Glasgow, where Chris Gayle and the Mugafi Group were announced as the owners, completing the league's six-team structure.[2] The team later rebranded to "Glasgow Cosmic" ahead of the inaugural season.[11][12][10]

In June 2026, Matthew Hayden was announced as co-owner and head coach, replacing Chris Gayle in the ownership group.[5][7][8][11] Hayden said his decision to join the project was driven by a request from Mugafi Group chairman Vipul Agrawal and co-owner Tansha Batra.[13]

Coaching staff

In June 2026, former Australian opening batter and two-time World Cup winner Matthew Hayden was appointed as co-owner and head coach of the franchise.[5][14][8][11] Hayden stated that he accepted the role because of the franchise's long-term vision.[5][8]

Matthew Mott, former head coach of England's white-ball team from 2022 to 2024, was appointed as assistant coach, working alongside Hayden.[14][15][8]

In June 2026, former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron was appointed as bowling coach.[16][17]

2026: Inaugural season

The Cosmic assembled a strong squad ahead of the inaugural 2026 season, featuring a mix of international stars and Scottish talent. New Zealand opener Finn Allen, English all-rounder Liam Livingstone, Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe, Sri Lankan all-rounder Kamindu Mendis, South African spinner Keshav Maharaj and fast bowler Lungi Ngidi were among the major overseas signings. Namibian all-rounder Gerhard Erasmus, South African left-arm quick Duan Jansen and American fast bowler Ali Khan also joined the squad. Scotland internationals Richie Berrington and George Munsey formed part of the core Scottish contingent, while former Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques was included as a European local player after switching his international affiliation to Portugal. Scottish internationals Brad Currie, Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson and Chris McBride, alongside Dutch all-rounder Paul van Meekeren, were selected during the inaugural player draft to complete the squad.[18][19]

Ahead of the inaugural season opener, the team announced it would be led by Scotland George Munsey and coached by Matthew Hayden.[8]

Glasgow began their inaugural campaign with a 7-wicket defeat to Edinburgh Castle Rockers[20] This was followed by a 33-run win over Dublin Guardians in their second game[21][22]

Players

Squad

On 24 May 2026, the franchise announced a squad featuring international players and Scottish talent.[6][19][8] The squad includes New Zealand opener Finn Allen, English batting all-rounder Liam Livingstone, Australian wicket-keeper Josh Philippe, Sri Lankan all-rounder Kamindu Mendis, South African spinner Keshav Maharaj, South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, Namibian all-rounder Gerhard Erasmus, South African left-arm quick Duan Jansen, American fast bowler Ali Khan, and Scotland captain Richie Berrington.[6][19][8]

The franchise also signed Scottish international George Munsey, an opening batter.[6][8] Former Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques is set to feature as a European local player for Glasgow, having switched his international affiliation to Portugal.[19][8]

Draft acquisitions

The inaugural player draft took place on 2 July 2026, with all six franchises selecting local players from the three organising nations through a snake-draft format.[19] Each franchise was required to select a minimum of six and a maximum of eight players from the draft pool, with salaries ranging from $20,000 to $55,000 depending on draft position.[23]

Scottish internationals Brad Currie, Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, and Christopher McBride, alongside Dutch all-rounder Paul van Meekeren, were selected by the Cosmic during the draft.[19][18]

Current squad

  • Players with international caps are listed in bold.
Glasgow Cosmic roster
No. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes
Batters
—Finn Allen New Zealand22 April 1999Right-handed—Overseas player[6]
—Richie Berrington Scotland3 April 1987Right-handedRight-arm medium-fastAffiliated local player[6]
—George Munsey (c) Scotland21 February 1993Left-handedRight-arm mediumAffiliated local player[6]
—Chris McBride Scotland26 June 1999Right-handedRight-arm mediumAffiliated local player; Drafted[19]
All-rounders
—Liam Livingstone England4 August 1993Right-handedRight-arm off breakOverseas player[6]
—Gerhard Erasmus Namibia11 April 1995Right-handedRight-arm off breakAssociate player[6]
—Kamindu Mendis Sri Lanka30 September 1998Left-handedRight-arm off breakOverseas player[6]
—Michael Leask Scotland29 October 1990Right-handedRight-arm off breakAffiliated local player; Drafted[19]
—Moises Henriques Portugal1 February 1987Right-handedRight-arm mediumEuropean associate player[19][8]
Wicket-keepers
—Josh Philippe Australia1 June 1997Right-handed—Overseas player[6]
—Matthew Cross Scotland15 October 1992Right-handed—Affiliated local player; Drafted[19]
Bowlers
—Keshav Maharaj South Africa7 February 1990Right-handedSlow left-arm orthodoxOverseas player[6]
—Lungi Ngidi South Africa29 March 1996Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumOverseas player[6]
—Duan Jansen South Africa1 May 2000Right-handedLeft-arm fastOverseas player[6]
—Ali Khan United States13 December 1990Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumAssociate player[6]
—Brad Currie Scotland8 November 1998Right-handedLeft-arm medium-fastAffiliated local player; Drafted[19]
—Paul van Meekeren Netherlands15 January 1993Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumLocal player; Drafted[19]
—Oliver Davidson Scotland28 July 2004Left-handedSlow left-arm orthodoxAffiliated local player; Drafted[19]
Source:[24][6][19]

Seasons

Summaries

Season W–L Pos. Finals Coach Captain Most runs Most wickets Refs
2026

Tournament finishes

Year League standing Final standing
2026
  •   C: champions
  •   RU: runner-up
  •   SF team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition

Statistics

Year Played Wins Losses Tied/NR[a]
2026

Administration and support staff

Position Name
OwnerMatthew Hayden, Tansha Batra, Mugafi Group[5][6]
Head coachMatthew Hayden[5][8]
Assistant coachMatthew Mott[14][15][8]
Bowling coachVarun Aaron[16][17]
Fielding coachDonovan Miller[25]

Notes

  1. ↑ NR indicates "no result"; abandoned matches are indicated as no result.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Smith, Marsh to play in new Europe-based T20 league". ESPNcricinfo. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "ETPL, Led By Abhishek Bachchan, Announces Glasgow Franchise: Chris Gayle, Mugafi Group Acquire Team Ownership". NDTV Sports. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "European T20 Premier League bags investment from Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan". SportsPro. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Abhishek Bachchan joins forces with ICC-sanctioned European T20 Premier League as co-owner". Hindustan Times. 6 January 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Matthew Hayden joins Glasgow Cosmic as co-owner and head coach for European T20 Premier League". ANI. 10 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Glasgow Cosmic unveil star-studded line-up for ETPL". ANI. 24 May 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "ETPL welcomes Matthew Hayden as Glasgow Cosmic's Co-Owner and Head Coach". ETPL Official. 20 March 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Hayden set to coach Glasgow T20 franchise in ETPL". BBC Sport. 8 June 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Inaugural Euro T20 Slam cancelled at two weeks' notice". ESPN. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Euro T20 league backed by Bollywood to be postponed". BBC Sport. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Can Glasgow Cosmic make Scotland a cricket nation?". The Herald. 13 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Inaugural European T20 Premier League postponed to 2026". Cricbuzz. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "ETPL's future lies in developing Europe's next cricket stars". Rediff.com. 4 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 "Hayden set to coach Glasgow T20 franchise in ETPL". Yahoo Sports Australia. 8 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Hayden set to coach Glasgow T20 franchise in ETPL". AOL. 8 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Varun Aaron joins Glasgow Cosmic as bowling coach ahead of ETPL". AP7AM. 21 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Glasgow Cosmic appoint Varun Aaron as bowling coach". Rediff.com. 21 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 "ETPL 2026 Player Draft: Full Squads, Salaries & Draft Picks". SportsPinch. 7 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "ETPL 2026: R Ashwin joins Dublin Guardians as captain and mentor". ESPNcricinfo. 1 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Edinburgh Castle Rockers Storm to Seven Wicket Win in Scottish Derby". ETPL. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Glasgow Cosmic Strike Back with Commanding First ETPL Win". ETPL. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Berrington and Ngidi propel Glasgow Cosmic to 33-run ETPL win over Dublin Guardians". thenewsmill. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "European T20 Premier League — Player Registration Circular". Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB). 16 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "ETPL Player Draft 2026: All You Need To Know". European T20 Premier League. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Glasgow Cosmic proudly welcomes Donovan Miller as our Fielding Coach". Glasgow Cosmic (X). 26 June 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
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