When Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan arrived in Glasgow to make a movie a few years ago he was mobbed by adoring fans everywhere he went.

It his hard to imagine the usually reserved Scottish cricketing public - very demure, very mindful - reacting in such a fashion should his son pop by at some point this summer, but having Abhishek Bachchan’s name attached to the latest attempt to bring a major white-ball tournament to these parts can’t do any harm at all.

Like his dad, Abhishek is a major deal across the sub-continent as the film star/producer’s gargantuan Twitter (15 million) and Instagram (12 million) following would suggest.

The 48-year-old is also seriously wealthy and a massive sports fan, both of which explain his decision to come on board as a potential investor in the proposed European T20 Premier League (ETPL).

Sanctioned by the ICC [International Cricket Council] and with the support of Cricket Scotland and their Irish and Dutch counterparts, the planned tournament is set to involve internationalists from the three nations alongside “world class” players from all around the globe.

More details are expected to be revealed at an official launch next month but there will be six franchises – two from each country, including a Glasgow and Edinburgh team – comprising 18-man squads for a tournament scheduled for July 15 to August 3 at locations still TBC.

That date is significant as it doesn’t clash with any of the other major T20 franchises, meaning coveted big batters and death bowlers ought to be around, although those players contracted to English counties will likely struggle to make themselves available. Should this venture prove successful, a women’s tournament could follow down the line.

Like many T20 franchise leagues around the world, this one is Indian-funded and driven, this time by a recently established firm called Rules Sport Tech whose co-founders Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra bring a wealth of venture capital, television and cricket leadership experience to the table. Malhotra is a former tournament director of the IPL [Indian Premier League], the global cash cow to which all other T20 competitions aspire.

Whether the ETPL takes off will largely come down to securing Indian broadcasting deals – and with that its vast gambling industry – and enough high-profile overseas marquee signings to complement domestic stars such as Scotland’s Richie Berrington, Brandon McMullen and Mark Watt.

That the plans are still in the embryonic stage for an event scheduled to begin in just six months’ time seems a touch concerning but those involved are saying all the right things for the time being.

“Cricket is not just a sport; it’s a unifying force that transcends boundaries,” said Bachchan - who attended the Bombay Scottish School in Mumbai as a lad - as he announced his involvement. “The ETPL is the ideal platform to showcase cricket’s growing global appeal.

“With cricket being included in the 2028 Olympics, its popularity will further surge. I’m humbled and excited about this unique collaboration between the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands. I am dedicated to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the ETPL becomes a resounding success, bringing cricket closer to millions across Europe.”

If all of this sounds vaguely familiar then we have been down this road before. Twice. Back in March 2019, these same three countries came together to announce the launch of the Euro T20 Slam on what was hailed at the time as a 10-year agreement.

As with this current proposal, the plan was to have six franchises based in six cities, team names included the Glasgow Giants and the Edinburgh Rocks, while a host of global superstars were also secured including Brendon McCullum – now of Bazball fame – Shahid Afridi and Shane Watson.

The tournament was pencilled in to get underway in Dublin in August 2019 but it soon became apparent that all was not well behind the scenes. Sure enough, an announcement followed from the organisers that the event would need to be delayed by a year. Then came the Covid pandemic and the Euro Slam was never heard of again.

Undeterred, a firm called Star 333 Sports attempted last year to launch a T10 tournament in Scotland. Six men’s and two women’s franchises were lined up to represent six Scottish cities, with all of the so-called 'Scottish Super 10' matches scheduled to take place in Aberdeen in August.

Former England batter Alex Hales and Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan were among those to throw their hats into the ring but, without ICC backing on this occasion, the tournament failed to get off the ground.

Fingers crossed a bit of Bollywood razzle dazzle – and rupees – will make it third time lucky this summer.