Two of cricket’s most respected former captains, Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh, crossed paths at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen on Saturday, adding a touch of cricketing nostalgia to the build-up to the India-Netherlands clash at the FIH Hockey World Cup.
Dravid and Waugh were seen catching up at the venue ahead of the high-profile men's hockey encounter between India and the Netherlands. The two former captains, who were fierce competitors during their playing careers, now share a different connection away from the cricket field — both are part-owners of franchises in the newly launched European T20 Premier League (ETPL).
Dravid is the owner of the Dublin Guardians, while Waugh is part of the ownership group of the Amsterdam Flames, alongside Jamie Dwyer and Tim Thomas. The six-team ETPL, backed by Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association, is scheduled to make its debut later this year.
The meeting between the two cricket legends came at an interesting time for both the venue and European sport. Wagener Stadium, in Amstelveen, is hosting the Netherlands' matches during the 2026 Hockey World Cup, which is being jointly staged by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30. India are taking on the Netherlands in a crucial second-stage Pool E fixture on Saturday.
