The new domestic Twenty20 (T20) property set to get underway in New Zealand has had its inaugural edition postponed.
The NZ20, as it is set to be called after having been approved in March, will now likely begin in December of next year, and not at the start of 2027 as had been originally planned.
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Earlier today, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) governing body said that after discussions with all involved parties, “it has become clear that additional time is required to complete the work necessary to establish the competition.”
This has come after, NZC said, after “working closely and constructively with all parties to progress discussions regarding the proposed awarding of a license and the establishment of the new league.”
Part of the reason for the delay is that New Zealand now have men’s national team series planned against Australia and Sri Lanka planned for the first two months of next year, meaning any new competition would not be able to use national team players if it began at that time.
The NZ20 – set to be run independently, with teams managed by private owners – will replace the Super Smash, which has existed as a six-team competition (with both men's and women's editions) since 2005, with those sides run by the six regional cricket associations in the country.
This delay means that the Super Smash will now take place in 2026-27.
Diana Puketapu-Lyndon, chair at NZC, stated: “Our focus is on ensuring the future of domestic T20 cricket in New Zealand is sustainable, competitive and aligned with the global game. We’ve been working closely with NZ20 and are encouraged by the progress made to date. Taking additional time now will help ensure the competition is set up to succeed over the long term.”
The idea behind inviting private owners to run teams is – primarily – that these will bring in more capital, and thus allow the teams to buy better players and thus raise the overall appeal of domestic cricket in the country.
New Zealand is, currently, arguably the only major cricket-playing nation without a high-profile T20 league. Domestic T20 franchise cricket has become a major part of the sport's calendar in markets such as India, Australia, England, and South Africa.
The move has not met with universal approval by NZC board members – previous NZC chief executive Scott Weenink stepped down in January, citing significant differences of opinion regarding the direction of T20 cricket in the country.
Don Mackinnon, chair of the NZ20 establishment committee, added: “Interest from prospective investors has grown since NZ20 was identified as the preferred option for NZC. As a result, we will run a competitive process to identify the league's primary investment partner and the ownership of the respective franchises.
"This additional time will also allow us to finalise key elements of the competition, including franchise locations, ensuring we build strong regional connections and a compelling national footprint.”
