The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) governing body has unveiled its vision for the future of the Twenty20 format domestically, featuring a new competition, the NZ20.
A competition under that name has been put forward as the preferred option by NZC, as disclosed following a board meeting over the weekend. The governing body has said that this does not represent a final decision, however.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The NZ20 – likely 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.
Plans for the NZ20 were first unveiled in November, and at that point it was reported that the backers of these plans wanted NZC to make a decision on the future of T20 cricket in the country by the end of January.
The aim was initially to launch the tournament – which would be licensed by NZC, but run independently – in January 2027.
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.
The proposals around launching a new T20 competition in the country have been formed by a committee led by Don MacKinnon, a lawyer and former NZC director. They are backed by a number of high-profile former NZ players, including former captain Stephen Fleming.
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.
Diana Puketapu-Lyndon, chair of the NZC board, commented: "There was extensive discussion on the merits of these proposals, but the Board concluded that now's the right time to revitalise our 21-year-old Super Smash competition.
"This followed broad consultation, particularly within our cricket network, and careful consideration of a wide range of information and advice, including the Deloitte Report. The next steps include working with NZ20 to agree terms and seeking support from our members."
She added: "In particular, we want to work with NZ20 to ensure it incorporates and supports the women's domestic T20 competition, and that it maintains a level of prominence and visibility consistent with NZC's strategic commitment to the women's game."
The move has not met with universal approval by NZC board members, however, member Dion Nash resigned, stating that he "could no longer align with the future direction of the organisation and his position within that."
Previous NZC chief executive Scott Weenink stepped down in January, meanwhile, citing significant differences of opinion regarding the direction of T20 cricket in the country.
MacKinnon added: "The real work starts now. We look forward to working closely with New Zealand Cricket and stakeholders across the game to shape what NZ20 can become."
